Tag: cartels

Report: Cartel Rifles Seized in Mexican Border State Tied to U.S. Department Of State

At least four rifles seized in the Mexican border state of Tamaulipas during cartel arrests are allegedly linked to the U.S. Department of State. A report by Mexico’s El Debate revealed that the rifles were part of various weapons seized during several cartel raids since late 2004.

The Tamaulipas Attorney General’s Office is investigating the seizure, claiming the weapons are linked to the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service. The report does not reveal if the weapons were stolen or lost. The first seizure took place during the Biden administration in Nuevo Padilla in October 2024, the second one in November 2024. The other two seizures took place during the Trump Administration, with one in March in Ciudad Victoria and one in April in Miguel Aleman. The report did not provide additional details as to the type of weapons or the specifics of each seizure.

The report by El Debate comes at a time when Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum has been trying to blame the United States government for not doing enough to stop the flow of weapons south. As Breitbart Texas has reported, Sheinbaum has been hiding behind a nationalistic rhetoric in an attempt to deal with the pressure from the Trump Administration to fight drug cartels.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the criminal indictment of Sinaloa Governor Ruben Rocha Moya and nine of his closest allies on federal drug trafficking and weapons charges for allegedly working for the Sinaloa Cartel. Rather than help with the arrest and extradition of the individuals, Sheinbaum has publicly defended Rocha Moya, who is from the same political party by claiming that there is no evidence of wrongdoing and that the U.S. government is trying to damage her political party, MORENA. As Breitbart Texas reported, Sheinbaum’s response has triggered international tensions with key members of the U.S. government, while U.S. President Donald J. Trump has publicly stated that Mexico is controlled by cartels.

Tensions have continued to escalate this year as the U.S. Department of State has revoked the visas of several MORENA politicians, including at least three sitting governors, several mayors and various other federal officials, Breitbart Texas has reported.

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Mexican State Police Carrying Out Raids on Behalf of Terrorist Cartels

Two high-ranking police officers in the Mexican State of Michoacán have been carrying out raids on behalf of the terrorist organization United Cartels. One of those officers had been investigated for his cartel ties but is now back on the job, carrying out raids and alleged abductions with complete impunity.

Breitbart News Foundation has obtained a series of photographs that appear to show Michoacan State Police officers carrying out raids on homes suspected of being used by criminal organizations that are rivals of United Cartels and their allies, including the Knights Templars. The raids are reportedly led by Commanders Marco Tulio Vertiz Rodriguez and Romualdo Albiter Rebollar. The two police leaders are allegedly working under orders of a cartel figure named Carmelo Alvarez Espinoza.

One of those raids took place this week in a rural area near the city of Apatzingán, Michoacán. In the photographs, the officers are seen pulling up to a home and raiding the property.

In response to the raids, Apatzingan has seen a series of banners posted throughout town denouncing the two police commanders for working with organized crime. The banners are addressed to Michoacan’s Governor Alfredo Ramirez Bedolla, asking him to do something. In the banners, the two police officials are accused of working with a local police chief in an attempt to use police forces to push out rival criminal organizations and regain territories that had previously been lost by the Knights Templar cartel.

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Mexican President Blames Biden-Era Policies for Rise in Cartel Violence

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum is blaming Biden-era policies of the United States government for having helped set off the fierce turf war that followed. The turf war erupted after the split between the two main factions of the Sinaloa Cartel following the arrest of the fearsome cartel boss Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada.

During her morning news conferences, Sheinbaum claimed that if the Biden administration had shared information with Mexican authorities and let them carry out the arrest, the cartel would not have split, and the violence spreading through Mexico would not have happened. The comments come at a time when tensions are high with the United States over Sheinbaum’s refusal to fight cartels. Her comments also come soon after the Mexican president announced that her government would be taking legal action against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in connection with the deaths of migrants in detention centers and during raids.

In regard to the violence in Sinaloa, Sheinbaum was referring to the 2024 kidnapping and arrest of Zambada at the hands of the Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. The operation took place in the last year of the Biden administration. As Breitbart Texas reported at the time, the leaders of Los Chapitos, who are the sons of jailed Sinaloa Cartel kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman and inherited his power, had called a meeting with El Mayo only to capture him and fly him to the United States. When the airplane landed, U.S. federal agents were waiting to arrest El Mayo, who pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges and is awaiting sentencing later this month. The kidnapping and arrest of El Mayo sparked a fierce turf war within the Sinaloa Cartel that has led to thousands of murders, kidnappings, and forced disappearances.

The issue of El Mayo’s arrest has gained relevance in recent days after a series of leaked photographs showed how U.S. agents had been waiting for El Mayo, pointing to some coordination between Los Chapitos and U.S. law enforcement. The issue comes at a time when the Trump administration has been pressuring Sheinbaum to eradicate drug cartels, leading to heightened tensions between the two governments.

Recently, the U.S. Department of Justice delivered a heavy blow to Sheinbaum’s credibility when it announced a criminal indictment against Sinaloa’s Governor Ruben Rocha Moya and nine of his closest officials, who were the heads of the state law enforcement apparatus. As Breitbart Texas has reported, rather than help with the arrests and extraditions, Sheinbaum has used the claim of national sovereignty to refuse U.S. help in fighting cartels and has publicly defended Rocha Moya, who is from the same political party, claiming that there is no proof of wrongdoing on his part. Federal prosecutors in the United States claim that Rocha Moya worked with Los Chapitos, providing them with protection in exchange for bribes and political support.

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Mexico’s First Openly Gay Mayor Slain in Guadalajara as World Cup Highlights More Than 135,000 Disappearances and more Journalist Killings

Mexico’s hosting of the 2026 FIFA World Cup was meant to showcase national pride, soccer passion, and cultural unity before a global audience. Instead, the tournament has unfolded against the backdrop of some of the country’s deepest crises: cartel violence, forced disappearances, killings of public officials and journalists, and protests by families searching for missing loved ones.

The July 7 killing of Benjamín Medrano Quezada, Mexico’s first openly gay mayor, brought those realities into even sharper focus.

Medrano, 59, was shot and killed in Guadalajara, Jalisco, after leaving an ice cream shop in the Santa Elena de la Cruz neighborhood. According to authorities, gunmen riding a motorcycle opened fire multiple times, striking him in the head and face.

Medrano served as mayor of Fresnillo, Zacatecas—one of Mexico’s largest municipalities and a strategic corridor for drug trafficking—from 2013 to 2015 before later serving as a federal deputy. He made history as one of Mexico’s first openly gay mayors and was also known as a singer, businessman, and owner of a gay bar in Fresnillo.

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Mexico’s Former President Accused of Crimes Against Humanity in International Court

Mexico’s former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador stands accused of crimes against humanity in a complaint filed by a rival political party. The complaint blames him as the root cause of the partnership between Mexico’s government and cartels, which led to more than 200,000 deaths and 150,000 forced disappearances, as well as several other crimes under his watch.

The complaint was not filed in a Mexican court, but in the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague by Mexico’s National Action Party (PAN). In a prepared statement, the party claims that during López Obrador’s term from 2018 to 2024, Mexico’s government willingly entered into a narco-alliance with drug cartels that strengthened them to such levels that they replaced the government in many areas.

The statement points to states like Tamaulipas, Sinaloa, and Michoacan where drug cartels are able to operate with almost complete impunity. The PAN also mentioned the recent cases of three Mexican state governors with AMLO’s MORENA party who have been linked to drug cartels.

As Breitbart Texas reported, the most recent case was of Tamaulipas governor Americo Villarreal and Sonora’s Governor Alfonso Durazo who had their visas revoked by the U.S. Department of State for ties to drug cartels. The first case is that of Sinaloa’s Ruben Rocha Moya, who in recent weeks was criminally indicted along with nine of his allies by the U.S. Department of Justice on drug trafficking charges and is a wanted fugitive, even though Mexico’s government has moved to protect him while publicly claiming that there is no evidence of wrongdoing against him or other members of the MORENA party.

The PAN claimed they chose an international court because Mexico’s MORENA-controlled justice system and the courts could no longer be trusted.

In response to the allegation, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum, who is Lopez Obrador’s protegee and successor, claimed that the rival political party had no credibility. She is the same politician that U.S. President Donald J. Trump has publicly mocked several times, claiming that she is too afraid of cartels to act against them. In the past, the White House has publicly accused Mexico’s government of having an “intolerable relationship” with cartels.

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Mexican President Tells U.S. Ambassador to Butt Out Regarding Narco-Politicians

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum lashed out against U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson, telling him to butt out of her country’s domestic issues. The comment came in response to Johnson’s earlier statement that the fight against cartels was not political. The scuffle comes at a time of great tension between both countries, as Sheinbaum has been fiercely

In her most recent morning news conference, Sheinbaum criticized Johnson, claiming that he needed to stay in his lane and that Mexico’s issues were for Mexicans to handle.

Sheinbaum’s rebuke came after Johnson posted on social media a message claiming that the fight against cartels should unite and not divide the people on both sides of the border. Johnson added that turning the fight against cartels into a political dispute is a wasted opportunity.

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Cartel-Linked Mexican Senator Enrique Inzunza Cazárez ARRESTED in San Diego – Conspired with Sinaloa Cartel’s Los Chapitos to Flood America with Deadly Fentanyl and Drugs in Exchange for BRIBES and Political Protection

Sinaloa Senator Enrique Inzunza Cazárez, a high-ranking member of Mexico’s ruling socialist Morena party, has been ARRESTED in San Diego after turning himself in to U.S. federal authorities.

The cartel-connected politician, 53, was taken into custody by the Drug Enforcement Administration on charges of narcotics importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess the same, according to multiple Mexican news outlets and U.S. court documents.

Inzunza Cazárez was one of 10 current and former Sinaloa officials hit with a massive federal indictment unsealed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York back on April 29.

US prosecutors allege the defendants conspired with the Sinaloa cartel to import narcotics into the United States in exchange for political support and bribes.

“The Sinaloa Cartel is a ruthless criminal organization that has flooded this community with dangerous drugs for decades,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.

“As the indictment lays bare, the Sinaloa Cartel, and other drug trafficking organizations like it, would not operate as freely or successfully without corrupt politicians and law enforcement officials on their payroll. The support of corrupt foreign officials for deadly trafficking of drugs must end. Let these charges send a clear message to all officials around the globe who work with narco-traffickers: no matter your title or position, we are committed to bringing you to justice.”

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REPORT: CIA is Waging a Secret Assassination Campaign Against Mexican Cartels

The CIA has significantly expanded covert operations against Mexican drug cartels, including alleged involvement in targeted lethal missions inside Mexico.

According to a report from CNN, the CIA were involved in the March 28th killing of Francisco Beltran, an alleged mid-level Sinaloa Cartel operative known as “El Payin.”

Beltran died when an explosive device hidden inside his vehicle detonated on a major highway outside Mexico City.

Mexican officials confirmed the blast was caused by a device placed in the car, while sources told CNN the operation involved CIA personnel.

Since 2025, the CIA’s elite Ground Branch unit has taken a more direct role in anti-cartel operations, moving beyond intelligence sharing into operational support and targeted strikes.

The escalation follows President Trump’s designation of major Mexican cartels, including Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation, as foreign terrorist organizations.

The report also states that the CIA has increased surveillance operations over Mexico and expanded its ground presence, though the number of operatives remains relatively small.

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Spain’s Socialist Government Is Sacrificing Its Own Police to Ruthless Drug Cartels — Another Officer Dead as Spain Becomes Europe’s Weak Link for Drugs and Illegal Migration

Picture Mexican and Colombian cartels using high-speed go-fast boats to flood cocaine and hashish into the U.S. via Florida or California, while U.S. agents chase them in outdated vessels — all while millions of illegal immigrants pour across the border using the same smuggling networks.

Replace the U.S. southern border with Spain’s southern coast, and that’s the crisis unfolding in Europe right now under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government.

Americans familiar with border security debates at home will recognize the pattern: when politicians deprioritize enforcement, criminals and cartels exploit the vacuum.

Today, two Guardia Civil officers were killed in the line of duty off Huelva in Andalusia, southern Spain. Three more agents were injured — one seriously — when their patrol boat collided with a narcolancha (a powerful drug-smuggling speedboat) during a dangerous pursuit.

This tragedy is the direct, predictable outcome of chronic underfunding, outdated equipment, and a policy of weakness that has turned Spain into one of Europe’s softest entry points for both narcotics and illegal immigration.

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300 Federal Agents Descend on LA’s MacArthur Park in Massive Raid Targeting Mexican Drug Cartels 

At least 300 federal agents descended on Los Angeles’s MacArthur Park in a massive drug raid targeting Mexican cartels.

At least 17 people were arrested and 19 kilos of fentanyl were seized.

The Sinaloa cartel brought the fentanyl and meth to the area controlled by the 18th street gang and rival MS-13, according to Fox News reporter Matt Finn.

Fox 11 reported:

Federal and local law enforcement are conducting a massive drug raid at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles Wednesday afternoon.

The raid is spearheaded by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and also involves Los Angeles police, authorities said.

At least 17 people have been arrested, FOX LA confirmed. The raid is part of the Department of Justice’s Free MacArthur Park operation, which aims to address the park’s “open air drug market.”

The operation also included arrests in San Gabriel and Calabasas, authorities said.

Federal authorities say they have recovered 19 kilograms of fentanyl, worth more than $10 million.

The DEA says it’s targeting drug dealers related to cartels.

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