The Cabrera Sarabia’s: The Criminal Group That Operated Under the Radar in Mexico

For decades, the Cabrera Sarabia clan meant little to Mexican society. Despite being one of the most significant criminal groups of the late 20th century and highly influential in the 21st, the family managed to fly under the radar of the major criminal organizations. 

While the country made half-hearted attempts to stop clandestine cells—specifically those with names starting with “Cartel”—the brothers Felipe, José Luis, Alejandro, and Alberto Cabrera Sarabia stayed off the front pages. 

Although they trafficked cocaine and methamphetamine to the United States at a furious pace, they managed to remain unnoticed thanks to the teachings of their leader, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, who preferred a low-profile approach to avoid media attention. 

The Cabrera Sarabias were like a ghost haunting Durango and southern Chihuahua. As invisible allies of the Sinaloa Cartel—silent, voracious, and brutal—they conquered the region by relying less on violence and more on political control, buying off mayors, council members, and police chiefs, and even placing family members on municipal payrolls. 

Then, the moment of reckoning arrived. The war in Sinaloa—sparked on September 9, 2024, by the betrayal involving “Los Chapitos” and Ismael Zambada—forced them to choose a side within the Sinaloa Cartel they had loyally served as a family clan. 

They chose “La Mayiza”: the conglomerate of armed factions answering to Ismael Zambada and his son, Ismael “Mayito Flaco” Zambada—the very kingpin the Cabrera Sarabias had once sheltered in their homes in the municipality of Santiago Papasquiaro. 

The highly prized anonymity of the Cabrera Arabias began to crack on a national level following the decisive role they played—placing them firmly on the map—as a guarantee of survival for the “La Mayiza” faction across Durango, Chihuahua, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí, and La Huasteca. 

They knew every backroad, every plantation, and every route. While other bosses fell, they endured. Whenever the faction needed refuge, the Cabrera Arabias were there—usually keeping a low profile, avoiding the spotlight, and operating with little scrutiny compared to flashy groups like “Los Chapitos” or “Los Ántrax.” 

But something seems to be changing. In recent months, the Mexican government has begun systematically striking the clan’s financial, logistical, and operational structures. First came the capture of Edgar “El Limones,” considered one of the organization’s key operatives. 

Then came the freezing of accounts and the targeting of companies and close associates. Later, other members linked to the group were taken down, and in March, three alleged members were arrested in Mexico City during an operation that was only possible after months of surveillance. 

Viewed in isolation, each arrest might seem like just another blow in the endless war on drug trafficking, but together they tell a different story. The authorities appear to be working to map out the Cabrera Arabias’ entire network—only to dismantle it completely. 

The latest offensive took place between Monday night and the end of the day on Tuesday. A federal operation was launched over the town of San Miguel de Casablanca in Durango—one of the Cabrera Arabias’ strongholds. 

Official reports mention the arrest of Leonel García, alias “El 40,” one of the clan’s top leaders, though there was no official confirmation as of early Wednesday morning. Yet, arrest or not, the federal government’s presence on the once-untouchable roads of Durango tells a new story. 

While the “Chapitos” attempt to regroup in southern Sinaloa, the federal government aims to weaken the “Mayiza” faction by targeting the old clan—a group that enjoyed impunity for years but whose time now appears to be running out. 

It is a classic criminal intelligence process: dismantling the periphery to reach the core; isolating operatives before moving against the leaders; cutting off communications before attempting the final capture. 

Is the Mexican government close to arresting the Cabras Arabia brothers? We don’t know. The signs suggest that authorities have stopped chasing peripheral figures and are now going after the entire clan. What we do know is that when investigators begin to scrutinize operatives and contacts, an arrest is usually only a matter of time.

Source: MVS Noticias