Cartel Insider Author
Mica Treviño
Mica Treviño, pronounced Me-KAA, has been chronicling Mexican drug cartels since 2003. He considers himself an accidental expert, shaped by years of research, analysis, and close attention to the cartel landscape. He profiles key figures, performs analysis, and is preparing the release of his first book.
He is an original Borderland Beat forum contributor whose reporting has been noted by media in Mexico and the United States. His analysis has been used by U.S. and Mexican law enforcement, and he has appeared on Fox News and in Rolling Stone magazine.
Mica has been described as a subject matter expert by a DEA source. He opened cartelinsider.com on May 23, 2023 and built Cartel Insider from the ground up. The site is now considered one of the most popular and trusted news sources focused on Mexican drug cartels.
Latest Articles
Posts by Mica Treviño
Newest reporting, analysis, updates, and long-form work by Mica.
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Official Records Confirm Detention of Gabriel Nicolás Martínez Larios, Identified in Federal Reporting as “El Gabito” / “El 80”
Gabriel Nicolás Martínez Larios is now in Mexico’s Registro Nacional de Detenciones. The registry lists his detention at 8:15 p.m. on Monday, June 1,…
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Power Succession and The Making of The Modern Cartel
Cartel history is not only written through violence. It is written through succession, betrayal, family names, prison cells, backroom alliances, and the men and…
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Arrests Tied to Rocha Moya Home Attack
Images and video show evidence tied to the attack on the home of Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya. The material includes a gray Tiguan,…
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Chapiza Leaves Warning for MF and Los Cabreras Near El Rosario
A video and narcomanta geolocated near El Rosario, Sinaloa, appear to show Chapiza-aligned gunmen sending a warning to Mayito Flaco and Los Cabreras. The…
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Mica’s Book Update
The time is finally coming. My debut book will be available for pre-order on Amazon on Tuesday, June 2. I know I missed my…
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The Captives of Zacatecas and the War Behind the Uniforms
A cartel interrogation out of Zacatecas accuses Mayo-aligned gunmen, the Cabrera network from Durango, and elements of local security forces of working together through…
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The Mayito Gordo Rumor Hits Durango
Durango is talking. Contacts say Ismael Zambada Imperial, “El Mayito Gordo,” left California and returned to Durango, where he was welcomed at a large…
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The Port Is Not Open: Chapiza Interrogates Mayito Flaco Cell in Mazatlán
In a brutal cartel video from Mazatlán, a captive identifies himself as Jesús Armando Chacón Patiño and claims he was sent by “El Payasín”…
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Book Progress Update
The writing is done! This is the final manuscript without images. I’m keeping the details quiet for now, but the main work is on…
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Details of the Operation Against El Jardinero with Pictures and Video
More details are still emerging, but these images provide a closer look at the arrest of El Jardinero. At the end of the video,…
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BREAKING: Mexican Marines Capture “El Jardinero” in Nayarit
Mexican authorities have arrested Audias Flores Silva, alias “El Jardinero,” one of the most important figures inside the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación and a…
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La Barbie Shares Message with Mica Treviño
From inside USP Coleman II, Edgar Valdez-Villarreal, known as La Barbie, shares a message about something rarely heard from federal prison: change. In this…
