Blows against the Los Chapos do not weaken them, experts say.

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THIS ARTICLE WAS TRANSLATED FROM RIODOCE AND WRITTEN BY: MIGUEL ANGEL VEGA

The murder of El Panu and the arrests of the Lindoro brothers only lead to a restructuring of the faction.

The arrests of Mario Lindoro Elenes and Mario Alberto Lindoro Navidad in Zapopan, Jalisco; of Carlos Gabriel Reynoso García, "El Pollo," in Mazatlán; the murder of Óscar Noé Medina González, "El Panu," in Mexico City; and the death of Alán Gabriel Núñez Herrera in Culiacán are blows that temporarily force the Chapitos to retreat and regroup, but they do not weaken them as many believe, observed a source at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico, with whom this weekly publication spoke.

“For months we thought the Chapitos were weakened; there was even a moment when their leader, Iván Archivaldo Guzmán, was cornered, but he managed to escape.  Afterward, we believed the group was weakened, but suddenly they returned with force, demonstrating all the power they possess, and now it's unclear how weakened they truly are,” the source said.

However, the real blows against El Chapo Guzmán's sons don't come from arrests, deaths, or seizures, but from operators and entire groups that “switch sides,” as they call those who change allegiances, ending up joining the Mayiza, the group commanded by Ismael Zambada Sicairos, also known as El Mayito Flaco.

“In Navolato, some of their people switched sides, and that's why things calmed down there. But in Elota, for example, the fighting continues intensely. In Culiacán, there are people who have switched sides. But even so, the Chapiza remains strong. They have lost ground, but then they regroup, fight back, and regain territory, and that's why nobody knows how much longer this will last,” said a hitman leader from one of the factions, who requested anonymity for security reasons.

In a poster revealed by the DEA, neither Mario Alberto Lindoro Navidad nor Mario Lindoro Elenes are identified as part of the inner circle of Los Chapitos' financial operators, but Medina González is recognized as a high-ranking security lieutenant protecting the organization, while Alán Gabriel Núñez Herrera is singled out as a key figure in fentanyl trafficking, which, according to the DEA, is one of the faction's main sources of income to finance its war.

Until October of last year, the U.S. agency had identified 21 operators who were still at large, excluding Iván Archivaldo and Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar. Of these high-ranking operators, 16 were located in Sinaloa or elsewhere in Mexico, and included hitmen in charge of the group's security, coordinators for the operation of clandestine laboratories, front men and money launderers, and operators for the production and trafficking of fentanyl.

Of that group, all of whom had photos and names, only five remain: Carlos Limón, Jesús Tirado Andrade, Juan Pablo Lozano, Liborio Núñez Aguirre, Noel Pérez López, and Samuel León Alvarado. The rest have been killed or arrested.

According to Mike Vigil, a security analyst and former head of DEA operations in Mexico, although the deaths or arrests of their operators destabilize Los Chapitos, they do not lose power or control because it is an organization that always has other people ready to take over from their predecessors, and in this way, they have no difficulty replacing the people who are important to them. “These arrests and deaths don't weaken them at all, because this is a group that is too cunning, and they are prepared for this. When they lose someone or one of their operatives is arrested, they already have someone to replace them, whether to protect them at all costs, or to move drugs or launder money; they even have the replacements for the replacements already ready,” Vigil explained. Security Reports

These statements foreshadow that the war between the Chapos and the Mayos will continue indefinitely, as observed by people linked to both sides, as well as journalists and gunmen with whom information has been gathered or exchanged about the current situation.

Chronology

On Sunday, December 21, at a well-known restaurant in the Zona Rosa in Mexico City, Óscar Noé Medina González, the alleged head of security for Los Chapitos, was executed. At the time of his death, he is believed to have been Iván Archivaldo's main lieutenant in charge of the group's security. No one knows what he was doing in Mexico City, nor why, given his high level in the organization, he didn't have security. Leader Profiles

Just a few hours after the murder of Panu, another key figure in the Los Chapitos organization, was found dead with his hands tied in the Tres Ríos sector in Culiacán. He was Alan Gabriel Núñez Herrera, for whom the U.S. Department of Justice was offering a one-million-dollar reward. It is presumed that his torture and execution were carried out by people linked to La Mayiza.

A day later, on Tuesday, December 23, hours before Christmas, Carlos Gabriel Reynoso García, "El Pollo," was arrested along with Jesús Arturo Dávalos Valenzuela, who were apparently linked to the Chapitos, in Mazatlán. At the time of their capture, tactical equipment was seized, including weapons for the exclusive use of the army and communication equipment.

That same Tuesday, Mario Lindoro Elenes, "El Niño," and his son Mario Alfredo Lindoro Navidad, "El 7," Iván Archivaldo Guzmán's father-in-law and brother-in-law, were arrested. The arrest followed a series of raids conducted at various residences in Zapopan, Jalisco, where drugs, weapons, documents, money, cell phones, and luxury vehicles were seized. 

Article published on December 28, 2025, in issue 1196 of the weekly newspaper Ríodoce.

SOURCE: RIODOCE