The Calabazas and Guano’s Mob: The Armed Groups Protecting ‘El Chapo’s’ Brother in Durango and Sinaloa

For years, Aureliano Guzmán Loera has evaded federal operations and rival groups, allowing him to establish himself as the last remaining fugitive among the old guard of the Sinaloa Cartel.

Radio alerts flared across the mountains of the Sierra Madre Occidental on the morning of Wednesday, April 22. The roar of aircraft flying overhead and the thunderous sound of gunfire announced—once again—an operation launched by federal forces in territory where Aureliano Guzmán Loera, alias “El Guano,” holds sway.

“The greens, the whites, the yellows, the reds—all the colors are waiting for El Guano and El Churras Calabazas,” can be heard in a brief radio transmission leaked on social media.

The presence of federal authorities along the border between Durango and Sinaloa—along with the mobilization of armed civilians—fueled rumors that El Chapo’s brother had been captured. However, the Security Cabinet subsequently debunked these rumors, announcing instead the arrest of 10 members of the faction—most notably, three high-ranking operatives of El Guano.

Despite the blow dealt to the Sinaloa Cartel faction he leads, Aureliano Guzmán Loera once again managed to evade capture. This is not an isolated incident; for years, the octogenarian capo has successfully slipped through the mountains, thanks not only to the solid social base he has cultivated in the region but also to at least two armed wings at his service: *La Gente del Guano* (GDG) and *Los Calabazas*.

*La Gente del Guano* in Durango

Santiago Papasquiaro, El Durazno, and—most recently—La Cebadilla are localities in Durango where federal forces have come close to arresting Aureliano Guzmán Loera. According to a retired colonel interviewed by journalist Óscar Balderas for *MILENIO*—as well as recent reports—*El Chapo’s* older brother has managed to evade capture during security operations on at least 10 occasions between 2011 and the present day in 2026.

Intelligence operations launched by authorities identify Tamazula—a municipality in Durango bordering northern Sinaloa—as the primary location where *El Guano* typically manages to slip away; however, the efforts deployed to apprehend him have so far yielded no results.

The Sinaloa Cartel leader’s extensive knowledge of the highlands and mountains of the “Golden Triangle”—along with the social base that supports him—are key factors that have contributed to his continued evasion. Equally influential, however, is the violent armed wing at his disposal, which refers to itself as *La Gente Del Guano* (GDG).

Dozens of gunmen serve to protect not only the personal safety of *El Chapo Guzmán’s* brother but also the territories under his influence and his lucrative drug-trafficking enterprise. Some of these gunmen do not hesitate to publicly display their allegiance to *El Guano* on social media, where they are frequently seen wearing tactical gear featuring the GDG acronym prominently displayed on the front of their vests.

Camouflage uniforms, .50-caliber Barrett rifles, other long-range firearms such as AK-47 assault rifles, explosive-laden drones, and even armored vehicles are among the armaments that these gunmen frequently display and carry within the zones where Aureliano Guzmán Loera operates.

According to information held by the U.S. Department of State regarding *El Chapo Guzmán’s* brother, he is approximately 80 years of age. Despite this advanced age, his gunmen have successfully established a distinct identity for their armed wing by adopting the iguana emoji as a symbol to signify their membership in this specific faction of the Sinaloa Cartel.

Whether operating as *Gente del Guano* or *La Guaniza*, this armed wing is composed of trusted operatives of Aureliano Guzmán Loera—such as the recently detained Abel “N” and Eber Israel “N”—as well as other high-profile figures, much like Luis Rivera Ochoa (alias “El R-8”), who was arrested in July 2024.

The faction led by “El Guano” also demonstrated its formidable firepower during the recent operation, in which authorities seized a 5.56mm-caliber Minimi machine gun, 10 long guns of various calibers, a handgun, as well as explosive devices and an assortment of magazines and ammunition. 

Although this constitutes the longest-standing hit squad affiliated with “El Guano,” a series of shifts within the Sinaloan underworld over the past six years have led to the addition of another group of gunmen to his ranks. This new group has amassed significant influence in northern Sinaloa and—much to the surprise of “El Chapo’s” brother—shares common enemies: *Los Calabazas*.

Who are *Los Calabazas*?

For decades, Badiraguato, Sinaloa, has been regarded as the cradle of drug trafficking in Mexico, serving as the birthplace of high-profile criminal leaders such as Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán and Rafael Caro Quintero.

While the region’s significance extends far beyond the drug trade, the presence of organized crime amidst the municipality’s mountains remains a constant reality to this day. This reality takes the form of *Los Calabazas*—a group of gunmen that, despite having been presumed extinct in the past, has gradually begun to regain its notoriety within the area. “Fortifying Badiraguato, ready to kick some ass—come to Arroyo Seco or through Huixiopa if you want a fight; let any of Isidro’s crew come, and they’ll go back in pieces. I’m not taking off my shirt; as for Mario and his whole clique, we’ll hit them until they drop—until this engine seizes up. Our AKs are loaded; we’re ready and fully prepared for action,” goes a verse in a narco ballad released by Midnight Gent in October 2025.

Spanning nearly three minutes, this controversial track recounts part of the history of *Los Calabazas*—an armed wing whose origins trace back to 2008. That was the year when, following the split between the Beltrán Leyva Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel, the various factions opted to establish their own units of hired gunmen.

Leadership of this group of gunmen was attributed to Fausto Isidro Meza Flores—alias “El Chapo Isidro”—who, by that time, had already cemented his status as one of the most notorious and trusted lieutenants within the criminal organization headed by Arturo Beltrán Leyva.

Reports from the weekly publication Ríodoce indicate that, following the downfall of “El Barbas” and his brothers, Chapo Isidro’s subsequent rise within the criminal hierarchy left Carlos Jesús (and/or Jesús Carlos) Salmón Higuera—alias “El Macaco”—at the helm of *Los Calabazas*. Although the armed group maintained its allegiance to the remnants of the Beltrán Leyva Cartel, it was the leadership of Mario Alberto Lugo Lara that would ultimately alter the trajectory of this armed wing.

Better known as Mario Calabazas, this criminal leader headed the violent armed wing after the body of “El Macaco” was found lifeless in the *sindicatura* (administrative district) of Estación Naranjo in July 2018.

Although for at least five years he was considered a key ally of “El Chapo Isidro,” in 2023, flyers began circulating on the streets of Mocorito and Guamúchil branding him a traitor and an enemy of the man who was also the leader of the Guasave Cartel.

The manhunt that Fausto Isidro Meza Flores unleashed against Mario Calabazas resulted in an intense wave of violence in the *sindicatura* of San José de las Delicias between July 28 and 30. Armed clashes, vehicle torchings, and the displacement of hundreds of people bore witness to the rift between “El Chapo Isidro” and the leader of “Los Calabazas.”

Mario Alberto Lugo Lara’s saga came to an end 19 days later when his body was discovered inside a home in the area; and although the discovery was quickly linked to his rivals, the state Attorney General at the time, Sara Bruna Quiñonez, stated that the cause of death was a methamphetamine overdose.

It was reported that, following the outbreak of the conflict between “Los Chapitos” and “Los Mayos” in September 2024, “Los Calabazas” saw an opportunity to return to the fight—this time under the leadership of Antonio Lugo Lara (better known as “El Churras Calabazas”) and aligned with a faction rival to that of “El Chapo Isidro”: the Guzmán faction. “Adding spice to the mix, Los Calabazas have stepped in to back the brothers—the younger members of the Guzmán clan. They return stronger than ever and fully prepared for battle. Led by ‘El Churras’—the man holding the baton—the Los Calabazas group stands firm, demonstrating their loyalty; up in the mountains, near Sinaloa de Leyva, they are often seen passing through […] I carry the accumulated rage of years, and this will be my moment; my vengeance is for my brother—we will show no mercy to those who betrayed him; they will pay for every single act. We remain on high alert here, fully backed by the Guzmáns,” goes another verse of the narco ballad by Midnight Gent.

Although their affinity for the clan once headed by “El Chapo” has been well-documented—particularly through their operations in Badiraguato and along the border with Durango—this armed wing has been linked most frequently to Aureliano Guzmán Loera, a connection further highlighted by the recent security operation in La Cebadilla.

According to a statement issued by the Security Cabinet, one of the high-profile associates arrested during the operation was identified as Etzair Lugo “N”—a security chief tasked with engaging in confrontations against rival factions, specifically the Beltrán Leyva Cartel (led by “El Chapo Isidro”) and the “Los Mayos” faction.

Even with his brother imprisoned in the United States and his nephews locked in a bloody, protracted turf war in Culiacán, “El Guano” remains at large—thanks, in part, to the operations of his armed wings, which have effectively fortified the hideouts within the Sierra Madre Occidental where he has successfully evaded capture for years.

Sources: Milenio, Cartel Insider Archives