Sierra 1 cartel leader captured in Michoacán, authorities seize successor Sierra 2
Federal, state and municipal forces arrested Ernesto Rafael "N", alias Sierra 1, in Morelia, Michoacán on 25 June 2026. The operation, coordinated by the Secretariat of Security and Protection, the Army, the National Guard and local police, seized high‑power firearms, drug loads and other illicit items. Sierra 1, a priority target who had escaped twice, is linked to extortion, kidnapping and the murder of a mezcal producer.
Within hours, intelligence stemming from that raid enabled agents to locate and apprehend Alfredo "N", alias Sierra 2, in the southeastern part of the capital. He was captured together with a woman; authorities recovered an M4‑style rifle, a loaded magazine, about 27 g of methamphetamine and a vehicle with altered identifiers. The successive arrests illustrate a coordinated crackdown on violent criminal structures in Michoacán.