CHAR
DECEMBER 22, 2025
WRITTEN BY: CARLOS ACEVEDO ALVAREZ
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.
