Retired Navy captain arrested in fuel-smuggling case

Reporting and context

Miguel Ángel Solano Ruiz, known as “El Capitán Sol” or “Mike,” was arrested in Zapopan, Jalisco, in a case involving alleged fuel smuggling through maritime customs, according to Luces del Siglo. Mexican authorities describe him as a suspected central operator in a network that allegedly involved Navy personnel and customs officials.

The Navy said the arrest was carried out with the Attorney General’s Office and the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection after investigative, intelligence and technical-analysis work. Authorities said Solano Ruiz, a retired Navy corvette captain, had an arrest warrant for his probable participation in organized crime aimed at committing hydrocarbon-related offenses. The investigation identified him as an alleged intermediary for Manuel Roberto and Fernando Farías Laguna, whom prosecutors have described as suspected leaders of the organization.

Luces del Siglo reported that a protected witness identified as “Santo” told prosecutors that Solano Ruiz coordinated communications and payments to customs officials and helped recruit active-duty and retired sailors and civilians. Investigators also linked him to customs operations in Altamira and Tampico, Tamaulipas, and Guaymas, Sonora, where authorities allege fuel shipments entered without the required taxes. The Security Cabinet said he was the last of 13 marines and civilians sought in the criminal case to be detained. Federal authorities said they spent about 300 days tracking addresses and movements in Mexico, France, Greece, Monaco and Spain before locating him; he was arrested at 12:52 a.m. Friday under a warrant issued August 19, 2025, and was due to appear before a control judge in Almoloya de Juárez, State of Mexico.