Mexico City (EFE).- Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection Omar García Harfuch confirmed a federal operation on Wednesday in the mountainous area of Sinaloa, where several arrests have already been reported.
However, he did not confirm the capture of Aureliano Guzmán Loera, also known as «El Guano,» brother of Joaquín «El Chapo» Guzmán.
«The security cabinet is taking action, mainly led by the Secretariat of National Defense. There are already detainees; the arrest of ‘El Guano’ has not yet been confirmed. But the operations continue at this moment,» the official declared at a press conference.
According to local and national media reports, the deployment was concentrated in Badiraguato and in areas bordering Durango, a region known as the Golden Triangle, an historical stronghold of Guzmán Loera-linked factions of the Sinaloa Cartel.
Since Wednesday morning, Sinaloan media have reported helicopter flyovers and the presence of federal forces in the mountains by air and on the ground.
The aforementioned has generated unofficial reports of a possible capture of «El Guano,» though there has been no official confirmation.
García Harfuch himself indicated that the operation is ongoing and is mainly led by the Secretariat of National Defense.
Journalistic reports indicate that authorities have identified Aureliano Guzmán Loera as one of the commanders operating in the Badiraguato mountains and the Golden Triangle. This is an area where disputes between Sinaloa Cartel factions persist.
The Federal Government has not yet specified how many people have been detained or revealed the identities of those captured.
Sinaloa has been experiencing a deep crisis of violence since late 2024 due to an internal struggle between factions of the Sinaloa Cartel. The United States declared the Sinaloa Cartel a terrorist group in 2025.
According to figures from the NGO State Public Security Council, the dispute between Los Chapitos and Los Mayos has caused over 1,800 deaths and 2,400 forced disappearances since Sep. 2024.EFE
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