Chuy Peñuelas tentatively identified after Navy clash
Original reporting: ZETA Tijuana
What happened
Federal authorities said Jesús González Peñuelas could be one of two men killed near Alfredo V. Bonfil on October 26; genetic and fingerprint confirmation remained pending, ZETA reported.
Reporting and context
Two men were killed in an October 26 clash with Mexican Navy personnel near Alfredo V. Bonfil in Sinaloa municipality, and federal authorities said one could be Jesús González Peñuelas, known as “Chuy Peñuelas.” According to ZETA Tijuana, genetic and fingerprint tests were still needed to establish both men's identities.
Federal Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch linked González Peñuelas to the Guasave Cartel in a statement on X, citing the information available about the operation. Federal authorities described him as the group's second-ranking operator. ZETA Tijuana reported that relatives who appeared before prosecutors said the bodies might be those of Jesús “N” and Cesáreo “N.” Those accounts remained subject to forensic confirmation.
A joint Navy and federal Security Ministry statement, cited by the outlet, said naval intelligence led to surveillance in the area. Officials said two armed men left a pickup truck, entered brush and fired at approaching Navy personnel, who returned fire. Both men died, and the area was secured until investigators arrived.
Authorities reported seizing four vehicles reported stolen, three long guns, three magazines and 46 rounds of ammunition. The items were turned over to the federal Attorney General's Office for the investigation.
For context, the report cited a U.S. State Department reward of up to $5 million for information leading to González Peñuelas's arrest or conviction over alleged cocaine and heroin trafficking. That notice uses the alias “Chuy González.” The outlet described the Guasave Cartel as headed by Fausto Isidro Meza Flores, alias “El Chapo Isidro,” while attributing González Peñuelas's alleged role to federal authorities.
Source: ZETA Tijuana.