Sinaloa security operations lead to arrests of high-priority cartel targets

The Mexican Secretariat of National Defense has reported the capture of six high-priority targets linked to organized crime in Sinaloa. Among those detained is José Luis “N”, known as “Wicho”, identified as a suspected logistical and financial operator for the Sinaloa Cartel.

Other significant arrests include Iván “N”, alias “Mantecas”, a suspected leader of the Beltrán Leyva cell, and Gabriel Nicolás “N”, alias “Gabito”, a suspected regional leader of the Sinaloa Cartel. Additional detainees include Misael “N” (alias “Güero Pink”), Christian Guadalupe “N” (alias “Texas”), Antonio “N” (alias “General”), and Ángel Gabriel “N” (alias “Tronco”), who is linked to the deaths of ten miners.

These operations occur amid an internal conflict within the Sinaloa Cartel, which has reportedly led to a surge in forced recruitment and disappearances. Data indicates that disappearances of outsiders in Sinaloa rose from 142 cases in 2023 to 231 in 2025, a 63% increase.