Wednesday, December 24, 2025
Merry Christmas! Borderland Beat Family!
'El Menchito' Makes a Last-Ditch Effort; Seeks a New Trial or Sentence
“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat
“Despite the financial incentives, years of effort, and resources dedicated to his capture, El Mencho has always been one step ahead. So the (United States) government took what it could get: his son,” says the new attempt by the son of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, El Mencho, the absolute leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), to one day get out of prison.
Rubén Oseguera González, alias El Menchito, has appealed his life sentence in federal court in Washington to seek a new trial or, at least, a reduced sentence.
The document, accessed by MILENIO, claims that the man was subjected to an unfair trial, surrounded by the bloody myths of the Jalisco Cartel, unrealistic testimonies, and evidence that should never have reached the jury.
It was September 2024 when Oseguera was tried for just under a month for cocaine and methamphetamine trafficking and possession and use of firearms and instruments of destruction for drug trafficking purposes.
Former drug traffickers, US agents, and Mexican authorities testified against the man, then 34 years old, to convince a jury that this light-skinned young man, wearing glasses and almost always a polo shirt, had been El Mencho's right-hand man during his youth and throughout his adult life while free.
Elpidio Mojarro Ramírez, a former operator of the Millennium Cartel, a former colleague of El Mencho and now a sworn enemy of Oseguera Cervantes, claimed that he met El Menchito when he was about 17 years old. “He was always listening, I imagine he was learning (...) he was always close to his father, I imagine he was helping his father,” testified Mojarro, who by then had obtained his freedom thanks to becoming an informant for Washington.
Another key witness for the prosecution was Herminio Gómez Ancira, alias El Indio, former director of the Municipal Police in Villa Purificación and one of El Mencho's several bodyguards. The man, who never hid his admiration for his criminal boss, gave several accounts that, at times, bordered on the fantastical. Mass weddings that left no evidence, plants that healed bullet wounds, and, of course, executions left and right for drug debts.
“His father didn't want to, but that was El Menchito's idea, to produce fentanyl (...) Menchito himself told me it was his idea,” El Indio said, also linking Rubén Oseguera to the attack on a Mexican Army helicopter that ultimately crashed, leaving several dead and wounded.
His testimony was vital in El Menchito being found guilty and eventually sentenced in March 2025 by the judge in the case, Beryl A. Howell, to life imprisonment plus 30 years.
“The cooperating witnesses generally linked Oseguera González to his father's drug trafficking activities. But one, Herminio Gómez Ancira, went much further. His testimony, discussed in detail below, bordered on the delusional. He told uncorroborated stories about his apparent magical healing powers, hiding weapons in caves, gold bars, and murders,” states El Menchito's defense document, “he claimed to have moved multi-ton shipments of cocaine by hand from boats, across the sand, to waiting trucks.”
In addition, the motion asserts that Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent Kevin Novick gave improper testimony by interpreting intercepted messages from various BlackBerry devices and claiming that they were spoken or even written by El Menchito. “The court allowed the government to spend more than half of the trial on largely irrelevant stories about the downing of a military helicopter, images of expensive watches, and stories of parties with 10,000 people.
All that, and yet, in a case involving drug imports into the United States, there was not a shred of evidence linking Oseguera González to any drug seizures," states Menchito's appeal to the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals by San Diego lawyer Devin Burstein, a criminal litigator different from the duo who represented Rubén Oseguera during his trial: Jan Ronis and Anthony Colombo Jr, "this court should reverse and order a new trial or, at least, a new sentence."
The appeal is one of the last avenues available to El Mencho's son to avoid spending the rest of his life in the Supermax Penitentiary in Florence, Colorado, an almost impenetrable complex where he is also subject to Special Administrative Measures (SAMs) that keep him almost completely isolated from everyone and allow him out of his cell for only a few hours a week.
The young man was arrested in 2015 in Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico, when he was 25 years old, and since then he has been behind bars, either in Mexican or U.S. territory after his extradition in 2020.
“By virtue of his famous family, securing a truly fair trial for Rubén Oseguera González was always difficult. The sensationalism inherent in prosecuting the proclaimed ‘drug prince of Jalisco,’ the son of a notorious leader of a Mexican cartel, could easily turn the presumption of innocence against him,” the appeal concludes.
Source: Milenio
Monday, December 22, 2025
Oscar Noe Medina Gonzalez "El Panu" "El Lobo" high ranking Los Chapitos/La Chapiza Cartel Member killed in brazen attack in Mexico City. El Panu was in Mexico City for family vacations according journalist Carlos Jimenez.
CHAR
DECEMBER 22, 2025
SOURCE: HEARST_BB
BY: CHAR
The night of this past Sunday, December 21, 2025, rumors swirled about a high-profile murder taking place in Mexico City. This armed attack took place in "Zona Rosa" or "Pink Zone," in the borough of Cuahtemoc in Mexico City. The Pink Zone is renowned for its vibrant nightclubs, restaurants, and nightlife. The male subject, who was attacked while eating in a restaurant alongside his family, was named Oscar Ruiz, an alleged Mazatlan hotel business owner. Reports later changed to reveal that Oscar Ruiz was actually Oscar Noe Medina Gonzalez, "El Panu," or "El Lobo," for whom the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the U.S. Department of State offer a $4 million reward. The United States Government describes El Panu's role in the Los Chapitos Cartel as,
"the principal deputy for Ivan Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, a high-level leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, and the day-to-day commander of Guzmán Salazar’s and his brothers’ – the Chapitos’ – security apparatus. Medina Gonzalez oversees each of the Chapitos’ regional commanders, who are responsible for security in their designated areas of Mexico, and the Chapitos’ gunmen — the sicarios — who are dispatched where needed to protect the Chapitos’ fentanyl trafficking operations, assassinate rival cartel members, demolish unsupportive businesses, capture contested territory, intimidate civilians, and attack law enforcement, in furtherance of the Cartel’s fentanyl trafficking business."
CARLOS JIMENEZ OR C4JIMENEZ, JOURNALIST EXPERT IN MEXICO CITY CRIMES, CONFIRMS THE DEATH OF EL PANU LOS CHAPITOS HIGH RANKING MEMBER
EL PANU'S BODY AFTER THE ATTACK
THE ALLEGED HITMAN WHO CARRIED OUT THE HIT ON PANU
ALLEGED FATHER-IN-LAW OF EL PANU/ ADOLFO ROJO MONTOYA WAS A FORMER DEPUTY IN THE PARTIDO NACIONAL OR PAN PARTY/ CURRENTLY WAS A TOURIST DIRECTOR IN MAZATLAN, SINALOA.
LASTLY, CARLOS JIMENEZ ON HIS X ACCOUNT STATED THAT THE MOTHER OF "EL PANU" is named GUADALUPE GONZALEZ CONFIRMED THE DEATH OF HIS SON NAMED OSCAR NOE MEDINA GONZALEZ. MRS. GUADALUPE GONZALEZ STATED THAT SHE IS A FARMER FROM DURANGO.
ZETA TIJUANA
The man murdered in Mexico City's Zona Rosa is believed to be "El Panu," the head of security for Los Chapitos.
WRITTEN BY: CARLOS ACEVEDO ALVAREZ
On the night of December 21, 2025, a man was shot and killed inside the Luau restaurant, located in the Juárez neighborhood of the Zona Rosa in the Cuauhtémoc borough of Mexico City. The attack was a targeted killing perpetrated by at least one hitman. Authorities in Mexico City are investigating whether the victim was Óscar Noé Medina González, also known as “El Panu,” an alleged high-ranking operative of the Los Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel and a target of the U.S. government, which had offered a reward of up to $4 million for his capture.
According to initial reports from the Mexico City Secretariat of Citizen Security (SSC) and the Mexico City Attorney General's Office (FGJCDMX), the attack occurred inside the Luau restaurant on Niza Street, where a woman and two men were eating when an armed man entered and fired directly at one of them. The gunman then fled on a motorcycle with an accomplice, and as of yet, no arrests have been made. According to official reports, one man died at the scene, and another person was injured by gunfire and taken to a hospital, while the woman accompanying them was unharmed.
Mexico City authorities reported that SSC (Mexico City Police) personnel cordoned off the area and notified the Public Prosecutor's Office, which opened an investigation into intentional homicide and injuries caused by firearms. They also ordered a review of C5 (Mexico City's integrated command and control center) surveillance footage from Niza Street and surrounding areas to reconstruct the attackers' escape route. At the crime scene, forensic services collected 19 ballistic evidence items, including spent shell casings of 9mm and .45 AUTO caliber, as well as a loaded magazine. The victim's body had 28 injuries, 27 of which were gunshot wounds to the face, head, chest, and extremities, as documented in the forensic reports.
Initially, the murdered man's partner identified him as Óscar Ruiz Domínguez and stated that they had arrived in Mexico City on December 20, 2025, and were staying in a rented house in Naucalpan, State of Mexico. The woman, identified as María José Rojo Sambrano, informed authorities that she had been in a relationship with the victim for six years, that she did not know his phone number because they only communicated through the Telegram app, and that he was allegedly involved in real estate transactions, although she was unaware of any threats against him or his criminal record.
However, sources consulted by various media outlets and journalist Carlos Jiménez, known as C4 Jiménez, indicated that there are signs that the murdered man was actually Óscar Noé Medina González, alias “El Panu,” an alleged member of the Los Chapitos faction. According to these reports, the victim's mother, identified as Guadalupe González, reportedly confirmed to authorities that the deceased man was her son, Óscar Noé, although she stated that he was involved in agricultural activities in Durango and said she did not know what her son did for a living. Other versions suggest that the deceased was a partner in a hotel chain in Mazatlán, which is part of the lines of investigation being reviewed by Mexico City authorities.
Information incorporated by the media from U.S. federal documents indicates that Óscar Noé Medina González, alias “El Panu,” was considered a high-ranking operator of the Los Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel and one of Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar's main lieutenants. According to U.S. government wanted posters, “El Panu” allegedly served as head of security for Joaquín Guzmán Loera's sons and led an operation dedicated to trafficking cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana from Mexico to the United States, for which a reward of up to $4 million was offered for information leading to his arrest or conviction.
The profiles released about Medina González describe him as maintaining a low profile that allowed him to stay off the radar of rival organizations and Mexican and U.S. authorities, despite occupying a significant position within the criminal structure. journalistic reports mention that “El Panu” allegedly assumed the head of security for Los Chapitos after the murder of Jorge Humberto Figueroa Benítez, alias “El 27” or “La Perris,” which placed him in a strategic position within the group's organizational chart. To date, the Mexico City Attorney General's Office (FGJCDMX) and the Secretariat of Citizen Security (SSC) have not officially confirmed that the person murdered at the Luau restaurant is Óscar Noé Medina González, alias “El Panu,” and they are keeping the investigation open to corroborate the deceased's identity through forensic analysis and national and international intelligence sharing. The agencies have indicated that the victim's possible connection to an international criminal organization has heightened attention to the case because the homicide occurred in a busy tourist and commercial area of the capital, raising concerns about the operation of criminal groups in Mexico City.
Authorities reported that they are continuing to interview family members who witnessed the attack, including the deceased's mother and sister, as well as restaurant staff, to determine if the name Óscar Ruiz Domínguez was a false identity used to move around the capital. The FGJCDMX stated that forensic results and intelligence sharing with international agencies will confirm or rule out whether the man murdered in the Juárez neighborhood is the alleged operator of Los Chapitos wanted by the United States.
Sunday, December 21, 2025
Human Remains Found Inside 3 Coolers on the Culiacán Bypass in the Costa Rica District
“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat
A roll of brown packing tape was left next to the coolers.
It is presumed that the remains belong to at least one mutilated person, and their identity is currently unknown.
Three coolers containing the mutilated remains of a man were found abandoned on the side of the Culiacán Bypass near the Costa Rica district, south of Culiacán.
The report
The discovery was reported a few minutes before 11:00 a.m. this Sunday at kilometer 193, a few meters from Highway 20, which leads to the Villa Juárez district in the municipality of Navolato.
The coolers were found near the San Diego and El Porvenir fields in the aforementioned district.
National Guard officers responded to the report and, upon arrival, found three white coolers abandoned on the side of the highway.
Two of them were Styrofoam coolers, and one was a plastic cooler typically used for seafood.
Investigation
The federal officers opened one of the coolers and discovered mutilated human remains inside, then secured the area.
At the scene, the perpetrators left behind a roll of brown packing tape, presumably used to seal the coolers.
Costa Rica, Sinaloa
Source: Luz Noticias
Friday, December 19, 2025
Two Teenage Westside Wilmas Gang Members Plead Guilty to 2024 Shooting of "El Apache" in Chula Vista, California
"Socalj" for Borderland Beat
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Two [then] 15-year-old Los Angeles-area gang members pleaded guilty Thursday to murder and attempted murder charges, admitting they were acting as hired hitmen for the Sinaloa Cartel.
During two attempts to kill the cartel's target, they wounded two people and an accomplice was killed, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
According to their plea agreements, the two teenagers, then 15-year-olds Andrew "Shooter/Felon" Nunez and Johncarlo "Dumper" Quintero, are members of the Mexican Mafia-affiliated Westside Wilmas gang from the greater Los Angeles area.
They admitted they were tapped to kill the target because they were under the age of 16 at the time, which made them ineligible to be prosecuted as adults in California under a law passed in 2018. Each gang member expected to be paid approximately $50,000, prosecutors said. But they failed in two attempts.
In the US, 'El Guacho', son-in-law of 'El Mencho', has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for laundering money for the CJNG cartel.
CHAR
THIS INFORMATION WAS POSTED BY: RIODOCE
Cristian Fernando “G,” also known as El Guacho, son-in-law of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias El Mencho, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), has been sentenced to 11 years in prison.
At the time of his arrest in November 2024, El Guacho was living in California under a false identity after faking his death. He is described as a "high-ranking leader of a Mexican cartel" and was charged with "international drug trafficking and money laundering."
Cristian Fernando was wanted by Mexican authorities on suspicion of kidnapping two members of the Mexican Navy in 2021 to secure the release of El Mencho's wife, who had been arrested by Mexican authorities, according to an affidavit from a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent.
Federal Judge Beryl Howell, in Washington, D.C., sentenced Gutiérrez Ochoa to 11 years and eight months in federal prison.
Last June, El Guacho pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of conspiracy to conduct financial transactions involving proceeds of unlawful activity, or money laundering.
Marijuana is Lowered to Schedule 3 in the US as Fentanyl is Declared a WMD
"Socalj" for Borderland Beat
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to expedite the reclassification of marijuana – an effort to increase research on its medical use but not fully legalize it.
“This reclassification order will make it far easier to conduct marijuana-related medical research, allowing us to study benefits, potential dangers and future treatments,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “It’s going to have a tremendously positive impact.”
The order — which directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to hasten the process of loosening federal restrictions but does not include a timeline — comes after an intensive lobbying campaign from the cannabis industry.
“I’ve never been inundated by so many people as I have about this particular reclassification,” Trump said.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to expedite the reclassification of marijuana – an effort to increase research on its medical use but not fully legalize it.
“This reclassification order will make it far easier to conduct marijuana-related medical research, allowing us to study benefits, potential dangers and future treatments,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “It’s going to have a tremendously positive impact.”
The order — which directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to hasten the process of loosening federal restrictions but does not include a timeline — comes after an intensive lobbying campaign from the cannabis industry.
“I’ve never been inundated by so many people as I have about this particular reclassification,” Trump said.
Delta 1, a hitman leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, has been captured for the third time.
CHAR
THIS INFORMATION WAS POSTED BY EL OCCIDENTAL AND WRITTEN BY: ROMAN ORTEGA
The arrest took place at 9:40 a.m. this Thursday.
For the third time, elements of the Federal Forces have arrested Armando G., also known as Delta 1, identified as the leader of the elite hit squad known as the Deltas, of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
According to the National Registry of Detentions, the arrest took place at 9:40 a.m. this Thursday. At the time of his arrest, Armando, who is 1.70 meters tall, was wearing braces, black sneakers, black shorts, a pink t-shirt, and a black sweatshirt with bright orange accents.
Although the National Registry of Detentions does not mention the location where Armando G. was apprehended, sources close to the investigation indicate that the operation to capture him took place in the municipality of Zapopan.
First Arrest
Armando G, also known as Máximo, was first arrested on June 21, 2020, on the streets of the Jardines del Country neighborhood in the municipality of Guadalajara. The reasons why Gómez Núñez was released after his 2020 capture remain unknown.
Second Capture
Last Monday, October 28, 2024, National Guard officers arrested Delta 1 for the second time at 5:03 PM on Patria Avenue, between Lago Superior and La Presa avenues, in the Lagos del Country neighborhood, the same neighborhood where he was captured in 2020.
At the time of the arrest, the National Guard seized a vehicle, a rifle loaded with 10 rounds, plastic bags containing 1.053 kilograms of methamphetamine, and three magazines with a total of 49 live rounds.
The Attorney General's Office reported that Armando G was indicted for drug offenses, specifically simple possession of methamphetamine hydrochloride, as well as possession of a firearm, magazines, and ammunition for the exclusive use of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. In addition to the indictment, the District Judge based in Almoloya de Juárez, State of Mexico, ordered justified pretrial detention at Federal Social Rehabilitation Center No. 1 in Altiplano and granted four months for the complementary investigation.
However, last May, Armando G, identified as the third-in-command of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was granted house arrest by a federal judge.
Delta 1 Controlled Illicit Activities in Puente Grande
According to federal investigations, Delta 1's area of influence is in the Guadalajara metropolitan area. He was also responsible for the attack committed on May 21, 2018, in the Chapultepec area, against Luis Carlos Nájera, the former State Attorney General during the previous administration headed by former Governor Jorge Aristóteles Sandoval Díaz.
Thursday, December 18, 2025
Three Vehicles with Homemade Armor Seized in Díaz Ordaz
“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat
Elements of the National Guard and the Mexican Army seized three vehicles with homemade armor, as well as ammunition and magazines for various weapons, during an operation carried out in the Valadeces community, in the municipality of Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Tamaulipas.
According to official information from the Secretariat of National Defense, the seizure took place on December 13, as part of surveillance patrols and ground reconnaissance implemented in the region, in coordination between both agencies.
The operation was carried out by personnel assigned to the Fourth Military Region and the Eighth Military Zone, in compliance with the National Public Security Strategy, with the objective of deterring activities related to organized crime.
The seized items were placed at the disposal of the competent authorities to determine their legal status and to follow up on the corresponding investigations. The agency emphasized that the operation was carried out in accordance with the rule of law and with respect for human rights.
Valadeces, Tamaulipas
Source: El Mañana
Wednesday, December 17, 2025
Security Forces Arrest Drone Operators in Apatzingán, Michoacán
By "El Huaso" for Borderland Beat
In three operations, Mexican security forces captured three criminals who used drones and explosives to extort local lime farmers, and seized a narco camp in Apatzingán, Michoacán. Apatzingán is the municipality with the highest number of IEDs in Mexico.
Businesses Close in Santa Bárbara After Attack on Police Officers
“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat
Merchants in Santa Bárbara closed their businesses as a precaution after the attack on and brief detention of seven state police officers.
In reaction to the violent events that occurred today in the southern region of the state, business owners in Santa Bárbara chose to close their establishments as a precautionary measure, following the attack on seven State Police intelligence officers and given the ongoing security operation in the municipality.
According to available information, the atmosphere of uncertainty intensified after it became known that, at approximately 2:00 p.m., state police officers conducting an investigation to locate a high-priority target were attacked by armed civilians traveling in several vehicles.
As a result of this event, it was reported that no police officers were injured by gunfire; however, the officers were disarmed and beaten during the attack, in addition to being temporarily detained, which increased the perception of risk among the population.
Following these events, partial closures of establishments and a reduction in commercial activity were observed in different parts of the municipality, while some families chose to stay in their homes and limit travel, awaiting official information.
The situation worsened with reports registered in San Francisco del Oro, where gunfire and one injured person were reported, as well as the alleged involvement of a black van; subsequently, the Municipal Public Security Directorate (DSPM) issued a warning asking citizens not to leave their homes until further notice.
These events caused operations to be extended and reinforced in the region, with patrols and inter-agency presence in municipalities such as Santa Bárbara, San Francisco del Oro, Matamoros, and Hidalgo del Parral, as well as the implementation of checkpoints and surveillance actions on highways.
To date, authorities have not confirmed any arrests nor have they specified the total number of casualties resulting from the events, the corresponding areas continue to follow up to locate those responsible and clarify what happened.
Meanwhile, a climate of alert prevails in Santa Bárbara, with limited commercial activity and a constant presence of security units, while the population remains attentive to official communications regarding the progress of the operations and the conditions for returning to normalcy.
Santa Bárbara, Chihuahua
Source: El Sol de Parral
Tuesday, December 16, 2025
Another Ranch Property is Raided In Arandas, Jalisco.
CHAR
THIS INFORMATION WAS POSTED BY EL OCCIDENTAL
WRITTEN BY: RAMON ORTEGA
The operation was the result of military surveillance in the community of Cieneguilla and was carried out after obtaining a court order.
Agents from the Attorney General's Office raided a drug ranch in the municipality of Arandas, where they seized weapons, animals, and tactical equipment.
The Attorney General's Office reported that the military personnel detected the ranch while conducting a patrol in the vicinity of the community of Cieneguilla. From the outside, they observed various weapons and tactical equipment, so they notified the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office, which in turn requested a search warrant from a district judge.
Once the warrant was obtained, an operation was launched in conjunction with the military to carry out the search.
At the scene, authorities seized 24 magazines of various calibers, more than 350 cartridges of different calibers, 15 vehicles, 10 horses, various birds, a reptile, 14 tactical vests, 21 accessories, various articles of clothing, and documents.
The property and the seized items were placed at the disposal of the Public Prosecutor's Office, which will continue with the corresponding investigation into violations of the Federal Law on Firearms and Explosives and any other related offenses.
Slicing And Dicing Our Way Towards Domination
“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat
Back in February 2024, an unknown crime mob made its appearance here at Borderland Beat (BB) with a decapitation video. At the time not much was known about who exactly they were.
What little we did know is that the person who was being beheaded belonged to La Barredora. It was long suspected that the mob in that broadcast was the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
Research has shown that the CJNG has had a dominant presence in Tabasco since as far back as 2021. Specifically in the towns of Macuspana, Villahermosa, and Huimanguillo.
As reference, longtime readers of BB should remember that denial video made for the massacre against bar patrons in Macuspana. Villahermosa is where nine beautiful Colombian escorts got kidnapped. And the two Americans with sugar in their tanks who were abducted but later released in Huimanguillo.
Every one of those criminal acts, along with many others, were later attributed to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
Today, another beheading was also linked to them.
Video translation is as follows:
Sicario: Why are you here?
Captive: I was dealing drugs for La Barredora.
Sicario: For who exactly within the La Barredora?
Captive: El 70.
Sicario: Who is El 70?
Captive: Alias El Mosca.
Sicario: You guys were trying to come into Macuspana?
Captive: Yes, we were trying to come into Macuspana.
Sicario: Where were you guys hiding?
Captive: In the hills next to Plaza Victoria.
Sicario: You were waiting out there to ambush Danny. Who was the person who contracted you?
Captive: Nato.
Sicario: Nato? Who was he working for?
Captive: (unintelligible)
Sicario: What’s his alias?
Captive: El 25.
Sicario: Alias El 25?
Captive: What were you supposed to be doing for them?
Sicario: I was supposed to (unintelligible)
Sicario: How much were you going to be paid?
Captive: I was told that there’d be money.
Sicario: But how much were they going to pay you? How much were you offered?
Captive: A good amount of money.
Sicario: How much?
Captive: I was trying to take over the drug spots.
Sicario: How much?
Captive: I was trying to take over the drug spots.
Sicario: Whose drug spots?
Captive: The Jalisco organization.
Sicario: You guys were trying to come into Macuspana?
Captive: Yes.
Sicario: This will be the fate of every filthy individual that’s trying to do their dirt here.
Macuspana, Tabasco
Source: Anonymous
Monday, December 15, 2025
The Roads of Tecate Are In The Hands of Crime
“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat
The Sinaloa Cartel, embroiled in an internal war between the Mayo and Chapo factions after one of the latter handed over Ismael Zambada García, "El Mayo," to U.S. authorities, has expanded its criminal activities in Tecate beyond the production, trafficking, distribution, and sale of drugs. To acquire illicit funds, they have diversified into other crimes such as fuel theft, extortion of businesses, telephone scams, property theft, and now, highway robberies.
Using caltrops, they disable vehicles and transport trucks before robbing them. Investigators report that one of the most problematic stretches is the area connecting Tecate and Mexicali, particularly near the Luis Echeverría "El Hongo" and Rumorosa areas. Another high-risk zone is the southern part of the municipality along the Tecate-Ensenada highway, where there are numerous areas without cell phone coverage. Criminals are aware of these communication dead zones and exploit them to target and rob travelers.
“We went to Valle de Guadalupe for a weekend; on the way back, before reaching the toll booth at El Hongo, we had to stop because one of the tires blew out. Seconds after getting out of the car, we were approached by armed men in a black Tahoe SUV. They intimidated us, took our belongings, and then left. It was minutes of terror; and although we were later assisted by authorities to whom we recounted what happened, we decided not to file a formal complaint because the assailants took pictures of our vehicle, license plates, and even my driver's license, which terrifies us every day because they practically know where we live,” said Claudia, a victim of the robbery in September.
Two weeks after the robbery against Claudia's family, in August 2025, the president of Coparmex Ensenada, Alberto Muñoz Avilez, publicly denounced that a group of tourists had been robbed on the same stretch of road and demanded greater security from the authorities for those who are an important part of the state's economic sector: “We want to demand that all three levels of government uphold the law; we are aware of the situation that has recently been occurring on the stretch of road from Ensenada to Tecate and vice versa, where not only business owners, but also citizens have been subjected to robberies or attempts to dispossess them of their property. We need the authorities to take action with proper coordination,” he declared.
The businessman said that despite knowing of testimonies from people who have been victims of this crime, the authorities continue to ignore the issue and rely on their "statistics."
“As citizens, we are not feeling the protection of the authorities, so it is time to demand action and for us as citizens to dare to file a complaint when these types of situations occur, and for it not to be an excuse for the authorities to say that there are no complaints and therefore they don’t intervene,” he said.
The businessman said they are aware of a close acquaintance who was the target of an attempted armed robbery on the Tecate to Valle de Guadalupe highway, near the Agrícola y Ganadera de Valles de Las Palmas neighborhood, and recounted that the victim was intercepted by a vehicle that blocked their path.
“A person was leaning halfway out of the car, pointing a gun and shouting for them to get out. However, the victim was able to make a U-turn and escape in the opposite direction. That's how they managed to get away, but they were pursued for several kilometers while they called 911. Eventually, they reached a municipal police unit that provided assistance,” he explained.
The businessman lamented that no arrests were made in that case, and suggested there might be other cases where citizens don't dare to report the crimes.
“How is it possible that there were no arrests? How far could the vehicle have gone? What are the escape routes in that area? These robberies are happening on that stretch of highway due to the lack of police presence, and perhaps because there are roads they can use to escape,” he remarked.
But carjackings aren't the only incidents reported on the Tecate–Ensenada highway; from kilometer 16 onward, the area is desolate, a fact that in past years has been exploited by members of organized crime to execute, disappear, or abandon bodies, 90 percent of which showed gunshot wounds, in addition to evidence of having been tortured prior to their murder.
In that same stretch between the Nueva Hindú and Valle de las Palmas areas, drug laboratories have been seized, where people recruited in Ensenada were forced to work. They had been offered attractive wages to work in the fields harvesting vegetables and were then transported to an area located in the mountains that separate these rural areas of Tecate.
In July, a woman identified as Silvia publicly reported that while driving on the Tecate–Ensenada highway near the area known as "El Polvorín," between Valle de las Palmas and Rancho Viejo, armed men tried to force her to stop her vehicle: "It happened in broad daylight, around 1:30 p.m. It was a recent model blue Toyota with California license plates and a yellow car, which suddenly cut in front of us, while a dark gray Nissan (Altima or Maxima) that I don't know where it came from (it was moving slowly) wouldn't let me move. The passenger started sticking his hand out and showed a gun and started pointing it at us, making gestures for me to pull over," she recounted.
"They followed me for many kilometers. We started dialing 911 (the emergency number), but in that stretch of the highway there's no signal. It's clear they have identified the places where you won't be able to call for help," she warned. They managed to make the emergency calls and contact municipal police who assisted them, although no arrests were made. “It’s something we haven’t fully processed at home yet, and obviously it’s going to affect us because of the fear and because I have to change the license plates on the car, even the car itself. ‘What am I going to do?’ ‘What’s going to happen?’ It’s no longer criminals against criminals, but criminals against society,” he warned.
General Laureano Carrillo Rodríguez, head of the Baja California Secretariat of Citizen Security, acknowledged that there are criminal groups in the area, but that they have not been able to apprehend them. The same thing happens, he said, on the stretch between El Hongo and La Rumorosa, where there is a response time of up to “40 minutes” to activate the municipal police, and for the National Guard (GN) to subsequently arrive to provide support:
“Unfortunately, we were unable to apprehend the attackers. We know that they operate in that area, and we currently have a significant deployment that we had in La Rumorosa. What we are going to do is move further in that direction; we will be focusing more specifically on the Valle de las Palmas area and especially on that highway where the incident occurred,” he indicated.
RECORD OF TIRE PUNCTURES SINCE 2024
On Tuesday, December 10, 2024, shortly after the El Hongo toll booth towards Tecate, a user traveling on the road reported that she and her family were almost robbed.
She explained that on a stretch of the highway, some men obstructed their visibility with flashlights, causing the driver of the vehicle they were in to swerve and hit tire spikes, puncturing a tire; however, they managed to escape.
The user recounted that she saw at least seven cars with punctured tires, whose occupants were being robbed of their belongings by several hooded and armed men. This occurred without any law enforcement presence in the area to assist them. In response, the Secretary General of the State Government, Alfredo Álvarez Cárdenas, indicated that the National Guard, along with elements of the State Secretariat of Citizen Security (SSCBC), were already patrolling the area, both on the toll road and the highway, and that the incidents were being investigated by the State Attorney General's Office (FGE).
Likewise, the then Secretary of Security in the State, General Leopoldo Tizoc, acknowledged that they were aware of seven incidents in which the alleged criminals had used caltrops to rob drivers.
Caltrops collected by citizens in the Cienega Redonda area on the Tecate–Mexicali road.
Criminal activity using this modus operandi isn’t new, as the presence of tire-puncturing devices and incidents of assault on the Tecate-Tijuana highway were already reported in April 2024.
“We’re not the only ones to suffer an attempted robbery, but we experienced it firsthand, and it's a terrible fear. It's also outrageous to see that this is happening on the Fiarum toll road and that government authorities are doing nothing,” complained users who were victims of the assaults.
The National Chamber of Freight Transport (CANACAR) in Baja California has also reported attempted armed robberies or attacks using caltrops against its vehicles, an activity that hadn’t previously occurred in this state:
“Since 2024, we have issued recommendations to our operators to avoid resting or stopping in desolate stretches between Rumorosa and Tecate; we have records of attempted robberies, and we certainly fear that if there is no prompt response and a tangible solution, this will escalate, and tomorrow this border city, considered one of the safest, will end up becoming like those in the south, where people are robbed for their merchandise, their vehicles, or even where drivers are murdered,” warned CANACAR.
Source: Zeta Tijuana
Sunday, December 14, 2025
Zhenli Ye Gon, "Cooperate or Else", Obtains Legal Protection to Learn Details of Detention in the US
“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat
The Chinese-born pharmaceutical businessman Zhenli Ye Gon, currently incarcerated at Federal Social Rehabilitation Center Number 1 “Altiplano,” obtained a federal injunction requiring Mexican authorities to inform him of the exact date of his arrest in the United States and to provide him with a copy of the criminal proceedings against him before a judge in Washington D.C.
Judge Juan Mateo Brieba de Castro, assigned to the Sixth District Court for Criminal Matters in Mexico City, determined that the information requested by Ye Gon is “crucial to safeguarding the due process of law in the criminal proceedings against him.” The judge ordered that the businessman's petition, filed in November 2024, be forwarded to the First District Court for Criminal Matters in the State of Mexico, located in Toluca de Lerdo, for appropriate action.
The federal judge argued that, in order for the petitioner to have the necessary tools to confront the punitive power of the State, the judge presiding over the case must have all possible information to resolve the legal situation of the accused. “The actions of the responsible party were not consistent with Article 17 of the Constitution, which mandates that all authorities seek substantive justice,” Brieba de Castro stated in his ruling, indicating that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) should have forwarded the request to the judge in charge of the case.
According to El Universal newspaper, on December 13, 2025, Ye Gon sought federal protection after the SRE denied him the information, arguing that it lacked the authority to handle requests from private individuals and that the Attorney General's Office (FGR) is responsible for extradition proceedings.
In November 2024, the Chinese-born businessman requested the information from Miguel Ángel Méndez Buenos Aires, prosecutor for International Affairs at the FGR, who forwarded his petition to the Extraditions Directorate of the FGR's International Procedures Unit. The agency responded in April 2025; however, Ye Gon questioned the legality of the document.
Ye Gon's case dates back to 2007, when federal agents carried out a historic seizure of $207 million in cash at his residence located at Sierra Madre 515, in Lomas de Chapultepec, Mexico City. Following the operation, the pharmaceutical businessman was arrested in Rockville, Maryland, by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
In 2009, the U.S. justice system acquitted Ye Gon of charges of methamphetamine distribution in the United States. Nevertheless, the Chinese-born businessman managed to remain in the U.S. through various legal maneuvers that stalled the extradition request from the Mexican government, which sought him for organized crime, money laundering, and drug trafficking offenses. He was finally extradited and is currently incarcerated in the maximum-security Altiplano prison in the State of Mexico.
Sources: Zeta Tijuana, Borderland Beat Archives
