‘El Chino’ faces irrigation-water extortion case in Gómez Palacio
Original reporting: El Siglo de Durango Justicia
What happened
Carlos “N” faces an aggravated-extortion case over alleged demands of 9,000 to 20,000 pesos per hectare for irrigation water; the supplementary investigation is due to end December 28.
Reporting and context
According to El Siglo de Durango, a judge ordered criminal proceedings against Carlos “N,” known as “El Chino,” over alleged aggravated extortion of an ejido farmer in Gómez Palacio. The Durango state prosecutor’s office, or FGED, said he was arrested in Ciudad Juárez on October 22, 2026, under an arrest warrant.
The accusation concerns demands for payments to access water from irrigation module No. 5, known as Brittingham. The farmer reportedly began receiving calls in September 2025, with alleged demands ranging from 9,000 to 20,000 pesos per hectare. Threats allegedly included cutting off water, forcing him to sell his harvest to designated buyers and abducting him.
El Siglo de Durango reported that Carlos “N” and José Carmen “N,” who allegedly led the payment demands, went to plots in the 6 de Octubre ejido on November 29, 2025. The farmer allegedly handed over 15,000 pesos in cash but was told the payment was insufficient. The demands reportedly disrupted his farming activities and those of other producers in the ejido.
FGED anti-kidnapping officers worked with their Chihuahua counterparts on the arrest. Carlos “N” was then transferred to Durango’s Social Reintegration Center No. 1. At an October 23 initial hearing, prosecutors presented the accusation, the defense requested additional constitutional time before the proceedings decision, and the court imposed pretrial detention.
At the resumed hearing on October 28, 2026, the judge ordered the aggravated-extortion case to proceed and set two months for the supplementary investigation, ending December 28, 2026.
Original report: El Siglo de Durango.