Between October 14 and 28, the Mexican Navy (Semar) carried out naval intelligence operations that led to the capture or death of five priority targets linked to criminal structures in Jalisco, Colima, Sonora, Sinaloa and Oaxaca. The strikes hit alleged regional leaders, operational commanders and logistics coordinators of groups tied to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), Los Salazar and the Guasave Cartel.
- Five states targeted: operations took place in Jalisco, Colima, Sonora, Sinaloa and Oaxaca during the two-week period.
- Priority targets hit: the Navy reported five priority objectives captured or killed, including suspected regional bosses and logistics operators.
- Groups affected: the actions struck structures belonging to the CJNG, Los Salazar and the Guasave Cartel.
First strikes: Jalisco and Colima
The first operation occurred on October 14 in Jalisco, where Iván “N,” alias “El Cromo,” was arrested. He is accused of leading Los Cromo, a CJNG-affiliated organization. Authorities say the group holds sway in municipalities of the Istmo de Tehuantepec, a strategic area due to its proximity to the Interoceanic Corridor, so the capture of its alleged leader damaged one of the structure’s command levels.
Eight days later, on October 22, naval personnel detained Leopoldo David “N,” alias “T-20” or “Cabo 20,” in Colima. He was identified as the suspected operational and logistics coordinator of a CJNG-linked cell. The organization is believed to operate in both Colima and Jalisco, meaning his arrest dealt a blow to the cell’s coordination capacity in both states.
Oaxaca, Sonora and Sinaloa: next targets
The third CJNG-related action took place on October 28 in Oaxaca, where Carlos César “N,” alias “Semáforo,” was arrested. He is accused of being a regional boss in a metropolitan area of Veracruz and is linked to the cartel. Another person was detained in the same operation, but the Navy did not disclose their identity or role within the structure.
In Sonora, on October 23, an operation resulted in the death of Francisco Manuel “N,” alias “El Many” or “El Meny Carranza,” identified as the leader of Los Cazadores, a group allied with Los Salazar. The Navy said he died during an armed attack on naval personnel. The case represents a blow to one of the groups operating in the country’s northwest that maintain ties to Los Salazar.
Three days later, on October 26, another operation took place in Sinaloa, where two people died. One was preliminarily identified as Jesús “N,” alias “Chuy Peñuelas” or “Chuy González,” accused of being a regional boss of the Guasave Cartel. The second person was identified as Cesáreo “N,” alias “Profe.”
A nationwide impact
With these actions, the Navy claimed to have hit different levels of criminal structures, from regional leaders to operators responsible for coordination and logistics. The results spanned organizations and cells with a presence in various parts of the country, from the northwest and west to the Istmo de Tehuantepec, a region considered strategic for its economic activity and connectivity.
The agency maintained that the naval intelligence deployment allowed it to turn information gathered during surveillance into operations against priority targets. According to the Navy, the impact consists of limiting the criminal groups’ ability to operate and coordinate by targeting individuals accused of directing or organizing their illegal activities.
The two-week toll reflects a strategy centered on naval intelligence and interagency coordination, with results affecting both regional leaders and operational commanders. The damage to CJNG cells in the west and the Istmo, to Los Cazadores in Sonora and to the Guasave Cartel in Sinaloa points to an effort to fragment the command chains of various organizations. Tracking these cases and the judicial or forensic confirmation of the identities marked with “N” will be key to measuring the real scope of the strikes.