Cartel del Noroeste Members Detained While Distributing Toy Guns with CDN Logos in Guadalupe, Nuevo León

By "El Huaso" for Borderland Beat

In Guadalupe, Nuevo León, authorities detained four men allegedly linked to the Cartel del Noroeste (CDN) while they were distributing toy guns marked with the legend "CDN" to children in the Escamilla neighborhood.

The arrest occurred at the intersection of Sitio de Cuautla and Plan de Ayutla streets. The suspects attempted to flee in a Honda Pilot SUV after being intercepted, but were apprehended following a brief chase on Carlos Medellín street. The Honda Pilot had previously been identified through C4 surveillance cameras as the vehicle used in at least two homicides and one armed shooting incident in December 2025, all in Guadalupe.

The detainees were identified as:

• Lander Alejandro "Tocino", 18 years old, originally from Baja California (he had a missing person report issued on November 29, 2025, by authorities in his home state).
• Bryan "Lucifer", 25 years old, originally from Veracruz.
• Erick "Flaco", 27 years old, originally from Veracruz.
• Francisco Israel "Cañangas" or "Isra", 31 years old, originally from Monterrey, Nuevo León.

Authorities seized 144 doses of marijuana, one AR 15 rifle, one 9mm handgun, eight boxes of toy guns (mainly toy pistols) marked with the legend "CDN", two digital scales, and four cell phones.

This tactic of distributing Christmas gifts with cartel propaganda is common among Mexican criminal groups to gain local support. Most criminal groups across the nation engage in similar activity around holidays.

Sources: ⁠@Eco1_LVM Twitter, ⁠Milenio, ⁠Noticias NXM, ⁠La Jornada, ⁠NMas+, Policía de Guadalupe Facebook

Categories: Guadalupe, Nuevo León