CDG Chismes: A Suprise Ceasefire

 By Itzli 

I’ve been considering doing periodic update articles on rumors, gossip, and online talk concerning the various Cártel del Golfo (CDG, Gulf Cartel) factions for a while now and finally decided to pull the trigger with some interesting news that took place in the shadow of 28 notable cartel members being extradited to the United States. It was ten days ago that I wrote a state of affairs type article called The Tamaulipas Border in 2025 and one of the things I pointed out was the Cártel del Noreste (CDN) fighting against Los Metros on several fronts. Things continued much the same over the following days, for instance CDN forces just outside General Bravo, the military seized weapons in Camargo, and a picture of “El Rokero”, head of plaza in Camargo, began spreading online.

Last night Furia_Tinta posted about a ceasefire between Los Metros and the CDN being in the works. LosBloqueados2 has added a number of details, claiming that high-ranking members of each cartel had begun negotiating the ceasefire before dawn on Tuesday, February 25. The following day forces were ordered via radio to stop shootouts and advancing the positions of armored vehicles; yesterday the ceasefire was confirmed, though both sides are holding their positions in the two main conflict areas, Los Guerra and Doctor Coss.

CDN Perspective

I think it’s worth taking a look at all three cartels on the Tamaulipas border and how this turn of events might affect their actions for the near future. From the outside it seems surprising that the CDN under Juan “La Sombra” Cisneros Treviño would agree to a ceasefire since they seem to have been putting Los Metros on the defensive. In fact, a while back there were rumblings of a truce between the CDN and Matamoros Faction of the CDG, which made sense as their individual fights with Los Metros forced the latter to split their forces. 

On the flip side the ceasefire negotiations are said to have began days after the United States government declared the CDN a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) due to their involvement “in drug trafficking, kidnapping, extortion, human smuggling, and other illicit activities” as well as their use of “violence to exert its criminal control, including attacks against government officials in Mexico.” It would seem that the CDN is concerned by this and a ceasefire would allow them to keep a lower profile, plus it would help them financially as war hurts business. However, we’re already seeing an uptick in violence in Ciudad Victoria so maybe the CDN wants to cease hostilities with Los Metros so they can focus on recovering long lost territory in southern Tamaulipas.

While the timeline doesn’t match up to triggering the ceasefire, the extraditions to the United States that took place add an interesting twist to the dynamics of the CDN. Of the 29 individuals suddenly sent to face trial in the United States, 8 were members of Los Zetas and/or the CDN with direct ties to the Treviño family that formed and controls the CDN. 

Alfredo “El Chicles” Rangel Buendía has been in jail the longest and was a member of Los Lobos of Nuevo Laredo before they were absorbed into Los Zetas. Such was the case with two others that were extradited, Miguel Ángel “Z-40” Treviño Morales and Oscar Omar “Z-42” Treviño Morales. Said to be a close associate of “Z-40” and the leader of Los Zetas, Heriberto “El Lazca” Lazcano Lazcano, “El Chicles” was involved in the war for Michoacán against La Familia Michoacana and was arrested in August 2008. Lucio “El Lucky” Hernández Lechuga may have been one of the original 7 members of Los Zetas and his arrest in December 2011 was believed to have taken place because “Z-40” betrayed him.

Miguel Ángel “Alfa Metro” Rodríguez Díaz was the leader of Los Zetas in northern Coahuila in 2012, he was involved in the killing of the governor’s nephew in revenge for the death of Alejandro Treviño Chávez, brother of former CDN leader Juan Gerardo “El Huevo” Treviño Chávez, and was arrested a week after “El Lazca” was killed. 

At that point “Z-40” became leader of Los Zetas up until his arrest in July 2013, but it has been heavily rumored he continued to lead the cartel and, later, the CDN, from prison. Despite being called “Z-13” in some reports, another individual extradited yesterday was Jesús Alberto “El Pinky” Galaviz Vega was a later addition to Los Zetas and was arrested in March 2013. “Z-42” succeeded “Z-42” as leader of Los Zetas up until his arrest in March 2015 and nearly three weeks later Ramiro “El Rama” Pérez Moreno, who was extradited yesterday, was arrested. “El Rama” was a close associate of both “Z-40” and “Z-42”.

The final individual of this group extradited yesterday was Carlos Alberto “La Bola” Monsiváis Treviño, half-brother of “La Sombra”. A former leader of the CDN, “La Bola” has been in and out of prison over the years, with his latest arrest taking place in September 2024. I hesitate to say that the “La Sombra” and the CDN had advance knowledge of the extraditions to take place but a ceasefire is much easier to take place without “Z-40” giving orders from prison in Mexico.

Los Metros Perspective

It appears that a ceasefire benefits Los Metros more than anything as they no longer have to worry about the CDN breathing down their neck in the west and south. While none of their former members were among those extradited, the FTO designation is something they needed to worry about too. There’s been rumors of money issues within Los Metros and a ceasefire with the CDN lets them focus solely on combating the Matamoros Faction of the CDG. Of course there also seems to be drama within Los Metros and there’s an emerging rumor that “El Cuaua” is wanting to take over Reynosa.

Matamoros Perspective

A few weeks ago it seemed that a ceasefire was going to take place, but the rumblings stated it was Los Metros and the Matamoros Faction of the CDG, with CDN left out. Now it is being said that Matamoros is being left on the wayside. While his former associates Evaristo “El Vaquero” Cruz Sánchez and José Alberto “La Kena” García Vilano were extradited to the United States, José Alfredo “El Contador” Cárdenas Martínez, leader of the Matamoros Faction, managed to not share their fate as he is out of prison, though said to have to check in periodically and/or has an ankle bracelet.

It would seem that the Matamoros Faction will be on the defensive now with the CDN fighting in and around Ciudad Victoria and Los Metros countering the incursions into Reynosa and trying to recover Río Bravo. There may be other dynamics in play as well. During the previous ceasefire rumors it was hard to tell if it was truly taking place and if so, it seems that it collapsed before it fully went into effect. 

It seems that the Mexican government wants things to calm down in Tamaulipas, not only have state officials been rumored to be pushing for a ceasefire it is being said that military leadership stationed there is heavily involved in negotiations. I need to refind the link but I remember seeing that a couple of high ranking members of the Matamoros Faction were quietly arrested in Ciudad Victoria, it seems it was to send a message. Another thing to note is the fact that Marco “El Alacrán 01” was arrested a week ago in Ciudad Valles, San Luis Potosí; he was the Huasteca regional leader of the Matamoros Faction and strangely enough a high ranking member of the CJNG in San Luis Potosí was arrested around the same time in a separate operation. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if all of this is part of negotiations, with the government showing how they can both help and hurt the Matamoros Faction.

3/1/25 Update

Ciudad Victoria Violence Uptick

A really good comment/question got posted that I felt deserved to be addressed in an update for a number of reasons, but mostly because it’ll make it easier to link stuff. Without getting too deep in the weeds I rely a lot on Situaciones de Riesgo (SDR) reports to gauge where conflicts are taking place. When it comes to Ciudad Victoria I haven’t seen many SDR reports until recently so here is what gives me the impression that there is an uptick on violence:

• Tuesday, February 25: video of CDN members claiming to be in Ciudad Victoria.
• Wednesday, February 26: two individuals killed in shootout in 16 Veracruz.
• Friday, February 28: two individuals killed in ejido San Juan and El Ranchito.
• Friday February 28: reported gunshots in Fraccionamiento Comercial 2000.

Even though I try my hardest to get everything right I am open to the possibility that I reach wrong conclusions; I’ve done it before and I’ll do it again, it’s the nature of this type of work. That’s why I want to encourage good dialogue here and at any point someone wants more information on why I reach a certain conclusion please ask away and I’ll be glad to explain, listen to any alternate perspectives, and point out where I was wrong in the past.

Mexico Confirms Marco Ebben's Death, Bodyguards Linked to Previous Murder

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

The death of Marco Ebben was confirmed thanks to the collaboration between the FGR, the National Police of the Netherlands and the Dutch embassy in Mexico. His lawyer Jan-Hein Kuijpers confirmed this on Wednesday.

On February 24, the FGR reported that despite false identities being present on the body found last month, it matched the physical characteristics and fingerprints on file corresponding to Marco Ebben. Ebben was wanted by Europol for drug trafficking convictions. The Embassy of the Netherlands, represented by the Consul and the First Secretary, began to repatriate his body.

Rosalinda Gonzalez Valencia Wife Of Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, "Mencho" Officially Released From Prison Thursday Night

 "Char" for Borderland Beat 

This information was posted by INFORMADOR.MX

FEBRUARY 27, 2025

Rosalinda González Valencia left the Federal Center for Social Readaptation for Women, in Coatlán del Río, Morelos, accompanied by her lawyer

ROSALINDA GONZALEZ VALENCIA 

LA JEFA 

Rosalinda González Valencia, alias "La Jefa", wife of the leader of the New Generation Cartel (CNG), Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, "El Mencho", was released early tonight, after serving more than half of the five-year prison sentence imposed on her at the end of 2023, for the crime of money laundering, her defense reported.

It was a Collegiate Court that rejected the challenge that the Attorney General's Office filed against the sentence that Judge Perla Fabiola Estrada Ayala, of the Federal Criminal Justice Center, residing in Cuernavaca, issued last January in favor of González Valencia, considering that the Michoacan woman had good conduct and had served 69% of her sentence, for which she determined to set her free.

González Valencia left the Federal Center for Social Readaptation for Women in Coatlán del Río, Morelos, accompanied by her lawyer.

González Valencia, arrested for the second time in November 2021, must appear once a month before the Precautionary Measures Supervision Unit, prove to the judge the address where she will reside and the work she will do.

In December 2023, Rosalinda González Valencia was sentenced by a federal judge to five years in prison for her responsibility in the crime of money laundering, in the form of concealment.

According to the sentence, between 2015 and 2016 the Michoacan woman hid operations in a bank account linked to a car wash she had in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco.

In November 2021, “El Mencho’s” wife was re-arrested for failing to comply with the obligation to sign the book of defendants for two months, for which she was imprisoned in the Federal Center for Social Readaptation (Cefereso) for women located in the municipality of Coatlán del Río, Morelos.

Elements of the Navy arrested her for the first time in 2018, during an operation in the municipality of Zapopan.

The FGR places her as the sister of the financial operators of the criminal group called “Los Cuinis”, founded by Abimael González Valencia, arrested in 2016 in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco.

SOURCE: INFORMADOR.MX

LIVE THREAD: 29 Mexican Cartel Kingpins Extradited to the United States, Including Z-40, Rafael Caro-Quintero

"Itzli" and "Socalj" for Borderland Beat

News broke at 7:28 AM central time that two former leaders of Los Zetas, Miguel Ángel "Z-40" Treviño Morales and Óscar Omar "Z-42" Treviño Morales were being extradited to the United States. While their lawyer denied this was the case, rumors increased that they, along with eight other prisoners from the Altiplano prison, possibly including Rafael Caro Quintero, were being extradited. While news is still developing it seems that the first official confirmation has come from the Webb County Sheriff's Office.

Update: DOJ has confirmed the 29 cartel leaders and traffickers were extradited.

‘Mayo’ Zambada' demands his repatriation, he says he was kidnapped. By: RIODOCE

 "Char" for Borderland Beat 

This information was posted by RIODOCE 

Author | Miguel Ángel Vega

Date | February 25, 2025

Time | 1:00 pm

David Weinstein, a lawyer and former federal prosecutor in the United States, claims that El Mayo can use the information he has about the government to reach an agreement with both countries

The information that Ismael El Mayo Zambada would provide, not only to Mexican and American authorities, but also to international public opinion through his lawyer Frank Pérez, would be an unprecedented bombshell, as it would reveal details related to the corruption of governors, politicians, military and police commanders, and businessmen from Sinaloa.

The information seems endless, according to intelligence sources in Mexico and the United States, and it would have started at the time of his arrest, on July 25, when he revealed details about how he had gone to Huertos del Pedregal, in Culiacán, to attend a meeting with the governor of Sinaloa, Rubén Rocha Moya, and the sons of Joaquín Guzmán Loera, and to mediate a dispute that the state governor had with Héctor Melesio Cuen Ojeda.

The meeting was actually a trap by Joaquín Guzmán López, as revealed by Mayo Zambada himself in a letter sent by his lawyer Frank Pérez to the media, because upon his arrival, the capo said that he was attacked, subdued, and later taken against his will to Texas, where he was handed over to agents of the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS, for its acronym in Spanish).

“The information that Ismael el Mayo Zambada has is a lot, and it would make the Mexican government tremble, more than that of the United States, due to his ties with politicians and officials,” said a military intelligence official, who at one time investigated cases such as that of Zambada García and Joaquín el Chapo Guzmán.

The kidnapping of the capo and his subsequent arrest has left a wave of death, because a little more than six months after the conflict between Mayos and Chapos began, the Attorney General of the State of Sinaloa has reported more than 900 deaths, and almost 1,300 missing persons.

As a new resource, Zambada García sent a letter to the Mexican embassy in New York, with a copy to the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and to the Attorney General's Office demanding that the Mexican government defend him, as a Mexican citizen, and demand that the United States immediately repatriate him to national territory, and at the same time, prevent the death penalty from being applied to him during the process, since his arrest and transfer to the neighboring country to the north was illegal.

"I was deprived of my freedom in national territory, through physical coercion and deception, and subsequently transferred to the United States by a Mexican individual, without authorization from the Mexican authorities, and without complying with any of the applicable legal procedures," reads the letter, sent by Frank Pérez to this weekly.

The letter adds: The Government of the United States of America has a responsibility for action by omission since it is a well-known fact that the legal requirements and international commitments that are mandatory for both countries were not met when I was received. Therefore, it can be stated clearly and precisely that the express commitments of the international treaties that I invoke in this section have been violated.

David Weinstein, a lawyer and former federal prosecutor of the United States, said that given the power of convocation that Mayo Zambada has, he could influence his repatriation, and that the death penalty not be applied to him, although everything will depend on the agreements regarding the extradition treaties that exist between both countries and taking advantage of what he knows to negotiate.

“In this case, the accused can use that information he has about the government, and reach an agreement with both countries,” said Weinstein, who is currently a trial lawyer in Miami.

President Claudia Sheinbaum said that as a government they would review the case, because beyond who Zambada García is, and the crimes he committed, it is a matter that has to do with the rights of a Mexican citizen about to be tried in the United States, but without having followed all the legal procedure that the law requires.

“No one is defending El Mayo Zambada, but the fact, and there is an issue in the letter that has to do with sovereignty and the trial,” Sheinbaum Pardo stressed.

Zambada García refers to a series of constitutional articles, human rights, migration laws and extradition agreements between Mexico and the United States, including the case of Dr. Humberto Álvarez Machain, who was kidnapped by US agents in Mexico in 1992 and taken against his will to the United States.

Although the U.S. Supreme Court then ruled that his kidnapping did not prevent U.S. courts from exercising jurisdiction over him, the case sparked international controversy and led to the signing in 1994 of the Treaty between the United Mexican States and the United States of America to prohibit cross-border kidnappings, which establishes that neither party should carry out or tolerate the capture of persons in the territory of the other party to take them to its jurisdiction.

El Mayo emphasized that while the Mexican government determines how to defend him, the United States must commit to offering sufficient guarantees so that the death penalty is not applied to him.

The former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel also mentions that he hopes that Mexico really defends him, but that if he notices a certain passivity on the part of the Mexican State, he could interpret it as a renunciation of its responsibility to protect its citizens and would set a dangerous precedent that weakens its ability to defend its nationals in similar situations.

"If that is the situation, it would lead me to denounce my own country before international bodies," said the boss.

Article published on February 23, 2025 in issue 1152 of the weekly Ríodoce.

SOURCE: RIODOCE 

Foreigner arrested with high-caliber weapons in “El Chaparral” Tijuana Border. Scott Harvey Lee Member Of Los Rusos Criminal Cell Linked To Mayo Zambada Criminal Organization.

 "Char" for Borderland Beat 

This information was posted by ZETA TIJUANA 

WRITTEN BY: ZETA TIJUANA 

FEBRUARY 26, 2025

An alleged member of the criminal cell “Los Rusos”, an organization linked to the Pacific Cartel, identified as Scott Harvey Lee Thompson, 41 years old, was arrested near the “El Chaparral” Bridge when he was trying to cross weapons into the municipality of Tijuana through a pick-up type vehicle with tinted windows.

According to the Federal Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, during random inspections, the suspicious vehicle was inspected, since it had tinted windows that prevented the view inside it.

Upon inspecting the interior, members of various security corporations located a total of three long weapons, two handguns, 19 magazines, more than 2 thousand live cartridges of different calibers, as well as three telescopic sights for weapons and a telescope. The weapons were confiscated, and the driver was arrested.

It should be noted that the insured is of American nationality. After intelligence work, his connection with the criminal cell "Los Rusos" was identified, which generates violence in the Baja California region.

Upon inspecting the interior, elements of various security corporations located a total of three long weapons, two short weapons, 19 magazines, more than 2 thousand useful cartridges of different calibers, as well as three telescopic sights for weapons and a telescope. The weapons were confiscated, and the driver was arrested.

It should be noted that the insured is of American nationality. After intelligence work, his connection with the criminal cell "Los Rusos" was identified, which generates violence in the Baja California region.

The detainee was placed at the disposal, along with the seized items, before the corresponding agent of the Public Ministry, who will determine his legal situation and continue with the relevant investigations.

The arrest was made within the framework of the National Security Strategy, with the participation of the Ministry of National Defense (SEDENA), the Navy (Semar), the Attorney General's Office of the Republic (FGR), the National Guard (GN), the Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), and the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM).

The detainee and the seized items belong to the “Los Rusos” faction, which is related to the criminal organization “Cartel del Pacífico.”

SOURCE: ZETA TIJUANA 

Thoughts on Classifying Cartels

By Itzli 

Earlier this week I wrote some thoughts about the recent designation of six Mexican cartels as Foreign Terrorists Organizations by the United States. In of itself the article wasn’t great but I wanted to do it as a leadup to this article, with the main point I wanted to make in it that while the word cartel isn’t really accurate it is used in place of drug trafficking organization, which is a group that I define as being involved in one or more drug related functions: cultivation, importation, production, distribution, and exportation. The other piece of the article was to provide clarification on the scale of these six groups as the press release was inconsistent in detailing this information and to point out that CU was presented differently from the other cartels. With all this in mind it is quite clear that these six cartels are not on equal footing when it comes to scale and areas of operation. 

About ten years ago, with the input of several individuals from the forum, I created a list of then active Mexican cartels with their major subgroups and notable cartel members. Around this same time I started using a three tiered classification system for cartels in my research but never came up with formal names or definitions. I still feel the concept is relevant so here’s where my mind has been at:

1. Major Cartels- the big cartels that conduct all five drug related functions and operate over a vast area of Mexico.

2. Minor Cartels- smaller cartels that may not be involved in all five drug related functions and operate in only a few states in Mexico.

3. Demi Cartels- very small groups that operate at a localized level; they generally started as part of a larger cartel and either splintered off or continued on their own with the collapse of their parent cartel.

In doing research for the article that will follow this one it seems that the Mexican government has come up with something similar; a map from September 2024 specifies “Grupo Criminal Trasnacional Cártel” and “Cárteles Regionales”. Merging this with my work, we can start using the term Transnational Cartels with major cartels and Regional Cartels with minor cartels. 

As for Demi Cartels, the Mexican government places some groups I would consider Demi Cartels as Regional Cartels and doesn’t touch on a number of groups that I would list. We’ll discuss this more next time but for now I want to say that I feel the Demi Cartel concept needs to be included but there definitely isn’t always a clear cut line between a small drug trafficking organization and what could be considered a street gang.

Let’s wrap this up by taking another look at the cartels that the United States government listed as FTOs. In my concept both the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG would be considered Transnational/Major Cartels and it should be noted that the Mexican government listed them as such in September. Furthermore, I consider the CDN, LNFM, and CDG as Regional/Minor Cartels and the Mexican government did so as well. As for CU, the Mexican government did not include it in the September map and in my concept the CU should not be listed as it would be considered an alliance of multiple Demi Cartels

We’ll leave it at that for now but it would be great to get some feedback in the comments on the general concept of classifying cartels, what titles should be used, and how they should be defined, so let the discussion begin. But one thing I need to make clear, Buggs and Borderland Beat has a Moderation of Comments Policy and there are things that I have allowed in the past that will no longer be approved in the interest of staying on topic and fostering discussion. Any issues should be addressed as mentioned in the policy or email me directly at itzli.borderland.beat@gmail.com

LA Sheriff Deputy Charged in County Jail Mexican Mafia Smuggling Network

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy is among 18 people indicted by a grand jury this week as part of a sophisticated drug smuggling operation involving Mexican Mafia associates inside the LA County jail system.

Half of those indicted are currently incarcerated. Among those indicted included an Anti-Gang Investigator at the LASD Deputy Michael Meiser who worked at the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic north of Los Angeles. The facility is commonly known as 'Wayside'.

Barrio Azteca Gang Leader "Tablas" Extradited to US, Linked to Killing of US Consulate Employee Families

 "Socalj" for Borderland Beat

Authorities in Mexico extradited a man who had been one of the key leaders of the Barrio Azteca gang and was on the FBI's Top 10 Most Wanted list. Another BA gang member, Enrique Guajardo Lopez, also known as Kiki, was extradited as well.

Ravelo is accused of being responsible for the planning and killing of three U.S. citizens in 2010. Killed were pregnant US consular employee Lesley A. Enriquez Redelfs, 35, and her husband, Arthur H. Redelfs, 34. Their baby daughter was in the back seat and was unharmed. Also killed was the husband of another consulate employee in a separate targeted shooting.

Former BLO/H-2 Cartel Leader 'H3' Extradited to the US, Connected to General Cienfuegos Case

 "Socalj" for Borderland Beat

Jesus Ricardo Patron Sanchez, also known as “H-3,” “Diabolic,” “Vela,” “James Bond” and “Xmen,” was arraigned on February 22, 2025 at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn on an indictment charging him with leading a continuing criminal enterprise, participating in a large-scale narcotics distribution conspiracy and using one or more firearms in connection with narcotic offenses.

Thoughts on the "Terrorist" Cartels

 By Itzli 

One of, if not the biggest story of last week was the United States government declaring multiple Mexican cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and even though there has already been a few articles about it on Borderland Beat there’s some things I want to cover which will serve as a launching point for another article/project to come.

Words matter when it comes to the United States government as once something is labeled it can trigger how the government treats it as can be seen on the State Department’s website. I don’t want to get into any politics around this but it should be pointed out the vast majority of FTOs have been Islamic groups and up until now there has only been a handful of groups in the Americas that have been designated. It looks like all of those groups are seen as communist/Marxist revolutionaries with the only ones with some drug connections being the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia and two Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) groups prior to this.

The term cartel started as a passing reference to the way that Pablo Escobar and his associates from Medellín dominated the cocaine market in the 1980s and since then drug cartels have become defined by the Depart of Justice as “large, highly sophisticated organizations composed of multiple DTOs and cells with specific assignments such as drug transportation, security/enforcement, or money laundering. Drug cartel command-and-control structures are based outside the United States; however, they produce, transport, and distribute illicit drugs domestically with the assistance of DTOs that are either a part of or in an alliance with the cartel.” DTOs stand for drug trafficking organizations, which are defined as “complex organizations with highly defined command-and-control structures that produce, transport, and/or distribute large quantities of one or more illicit drugs.”

In my own personal writing and research I take this a step further by coming up with five roles that a Mexican cartels may be involved in when it comes to drugs:

1. Cultivation- this involves growing and harvesting marijuana and/or opium poppy in certain parts of Mexico where they can be grown.

2. Importation- this involves direct involvement in smuggling or receiving drugs from other countries, including the above, cocaine, and precursor chemicals used to make other drugs.

3. Production- while marijuana doesn’t have to be processed in the same manner as other drugs and transforming coca leaves into cocaine generally takes place in South America, drug production involves taking the raw ingredients and transforming them into usable drugs, for instance opium poppy into heroin and precursor chemicals into manufactured drugs such as methamphetamines and fentanyl. 

4. Distribution- this involves the straightforward process of selling drugs at a retail level to local drug markets in Mexico.

5. Exportation- this involves the most recognized role of drug cartels, smuggling drugs from Mexico into the United States. 

The press release doesn’t have much information on the six Mexican drug cartels that were labeled as FTOs but all were listed as transnational organizations, in other words organizations that operate in multiple countries, specifically Mexico and the United States. The phrase “drug trafficking, kidnapping, (and) extortion” is used to describe the CDN, LNFM, and CDG while the Cártel de Sinaloa lacks reference to extortion and CJNG lacks kidnapping. The CU is unique, with only its “violent activities which have resulted in numerous civilian, military, and law enforcement casualties.” being mentioned.

One thing that isn’t obvious based upon the information in the press release is the issue of scale, in other words where exactly these drug cartels operate in Mexico. Let’s take a look at what the press release mentions and flesh it out with the Milenio report that incorporates Mexican government information.

Cártel de Sinaloa is said to be “based in Sinaloa” and that’s it. Milenio reports it as the dominant cartel in 12 states (Baja California Norte, Baja California Sur, Sonora, Sinaloa, Chihuahua, Durango, Coahuila, Zacatecas, Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatan, Quintana Roo) and having a presence in 6 others (Nuevo Leon, Nayarit, Tlaxcala, Puebla, Veracruz, Oaxaca).

CJNG is said to have “a presence in nearly every part of Mexico”. Milenio reports it as the dominant cartel in 13 states (Jalisco, Nayarit, Aguascalientes, Colima, Michoacan, Guanajuato, Queretaro, Guerrero, Estado de Mexico, Morelos, Tlaxcala, Puebla, Veracruz) and a presence in 10 others (Baja California Norte, Sonora, Zacatecas, Tamaulipas, Oaxaca, Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatan, Quintana Roo).

CDN is said to be “based in northeastern Mexico”. Milenio reports it as dominating Tamaulipas with a presence in 4 states (Nuevo Leon, Jalisco, Guanajuato, Tabasco), although this information is quite questionable.

LNFM is said to operate in “Guerrero, Morelos, and Mexico”. This matches the 3 states that Milenio reports.

CDG is said to be “based in northeast Mexico” and Milenio reports it having a presence in Tamaulipas and San Luis Potosi.

CU is said to be in Michoacán, with it specified that it as “an alliance of multiple cartels and other groups”. This matches the reporting of Milenio, which further states that the most notable criminal groups that are part of it are La Familia Michoacana, Los Caballeros Templarios, Los Viagras, and Los Pájaro Sierra.

We’ll leave it at that for now and build off of this information next time. I’m sure at least one reader will want to say that this is once again “full of misinformation, missing actual facts, full of speculation, boring and too long” but the simple fact is it doesn’t matter if I put hours, days, weeks, or months into an article, it’s never good enough for certain individuals. Doesn’t matter though, we’re back to the old school forum Itzli, we’ll start getting to stuff quicker and try to foster good discussion moving forward. La Plata, Bjeff, or anyone that wants to reach out to me outside of comments, you can reach me at itzli.borderland.beat@gmail.com.

Citrus Growers Union Temporarily Closes Offices in Apatzingán, Michoacán after Threats

By "El Huaso" for Borderland Beat

A citrus growers union has announced they are closing their offices in Apatzingán, Michoacán for a week after receiving numerous threats from armed groups. Despite reports, security forces have been unable to stop extortion of citrus farmers in the region.

Information Warfare Conducted By Armed Groups In Mexico

 "Enojon", "Pernicious Propaganda" and "Char" for Borderland Beat 

Photograph By VendettaTamaul1 on Twitter (Banner placed by 'Los Chapitos' of the Sinaloa Cartel Threatening National Guard personnel)

Kevin Alonso Gil Acosta, "El 200" Or "El Cabo" Los Chapitos Trusted Operator And Secretary Of Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar Captured By Military In Culiacancito, Sinaloa. El 200 Gave Orders To El Gavilan And La Chapiza Cartel Members In Culiacan.

 "Char" for Borderland Beat 

This information was posted by Los NOTICIEIRISTAS

02/20/2025

Culiacán, Sin.- Apart from the important capture of José Ángel Canobbio, alias “El Güerito,” federal forces arrested this Wednesday, February 19, Kevin Alonso Gil Acosta, nicknamed “El 200,” who is also a key piece in the organization of the Sinaloa Cartel.

According to the information, the alleged criminal was arrested by elements of the National Guard in coordination with the Army at nightfall yesterday Wednesday in Culiacancito

At the time of his arrest he was wearing a green shirt, a navy blue jacket, jeans and white tennis shoes.

Who is “El 200”?

Kevin Alonso Gil Acosta, alias “El 200”, is 34 years old and is known to be the head of security in the “Los Chapitos” faction, specifically under the orders of Iván Archivaldo Guzmán.

On a date like today, February 19, Mexican Army Day, but in 2014, Kevin Karim Elias Gil Acosta, alias “El 300,” was arrested in the Burócrata neighborhood in Culiacán, in possession of a long weapon, a fragmentation grenade, 11 handguns, 35 magazines of different calibers, 17 communication devices, four vehicles and drugs hidden in vegetables (plastic bananas and cucumbers), the federal government reported in a statement at the time. It is unknown when and why he was released.

Kevin alias “El 200” and his brother “El 300” are attributed with the kidnapping and murder of Hugo Castellanos Jimenez, a beauty pageant judge killed in 2016 in Culiacán, when Melissa Carolina Lizárraga, the “underdog,” won the Miss World Sinaloa pageant.

He did not fall alone

It was reported that, along with him, there are two other detainees, which are: Gustavo Acosta López, 56 years old, and José Alonso Acosta López, whose age was not disclosed. Both are relatives of “El 200”, José Alonso is his uncle.

The three were transferred under a strong security device to the Military Air Base at the Culiacán International Airport.

MY THOUGHTS- BY: CHAR

The Capture of Kevin Alonso Gil Acosta, alias "El 200" or "El Cabo," is a blow to the criminal organization of Los Chapitos, Los Menores, or La Chapiza, led by Ivan Archivaldo and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, sons of JGL. El 200 was Ivan Archivaldo's voice in Culiacan and swiftly carried out his orders. El 200 is believed to have led the attacks including making threats on families of military members on the first Culiacanazo on orders of Ivan Archivaldo, leading to Ovidio Guzman Lopez being freed after being captured. Ivan and Alfredo have lost two key trusted operators in one week. The government has warned that raids will continue against criminal groups in Sinaloa until violence reduces between rival criminal groups.  

SOURCE: LOS NOTICIERISTAS