El Casco Capture Report Unconfirmed After Mazatlán Operation
Noroeste reports an operation south of Mazatlán, with no official confirmation of the reported capture of El Casco.
Reports that Óscar Luciano Martínez, known as “El Casco,” had been captured remained unconfirmed in Noroeste’s September 9 account of a security operation south of Mazatlán. Noroeste reported that no government agency had confirmed his detention.
The deployment covered villages including El Roble, El Vainillo and La Cofradía, with ground patrols and a military helicopter overhead. According to Noroeste, security personnel arrived before 11 a.m., and helicopter activity continued into the afternoon.
Noroeste described Martínez as an alleged Sinaloa Cartel operator in southern Sinaloa. The newspaper also reported allegations connecting the cell to which he allegedly belonged with the January 23 abduction of ten Vizsla Silver workers.
Near El Tecomate de Siqueros, two Navy vehicles were towed after tire damage, according to Noroeste. Navy personnel there told the newspaper they had no information about arrests or a confrontation at that location. The reported deployment therefore did not include an official announcement that El Casco was in custody.