Agents of the National Defense Secretariat (Defense) and the National Guard (GN) of Mexico arrested a suspected operator of the Sinaloa Cartel in Culiacán, the capital of the state of Sinaloa. The individual, identified as José Ángel 'N', was responsible for planning routes for the international distribution of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, and had an arrest warrant in the United States for drug trafficking.
Violence in Sinaloa has increased since September 2024, with more than 800 homicides, due to clashes between criminal cells. Local media report that the arrested individual, José Ángel Canobbio Inzunza, alias 'El Güerito', is considered a key operator in the organization of Los Chapitos, linked to the Sinaloa Cartel. Canobbio Inzunza, 44, is connected to Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, son of Joaquín 'el Chapo' Guzmán.
The arrest of Canobbio Inzunza took place in the Las Quintas neighborhood, Culiacán, where military weapons, tactical equipment, cash, and drugs were found. The Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC) reported that he will be transferred to Mexico City to be presented before the Specialized Prosecutor's Office in Organized Crime Matters (FEMDO).
The United States officially designated six Mexican drug trafficking cartels as terrorist groups, including the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). On the other hand, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that she does not fear a U.S. invasion and that she has the support of the population in Mexico.
In a statement, the SSPC detailed that Canobbio Inzunza is considered a financial operator and trusted man of the leader of a criminal group. He was responsible for coordinating activities related to drug trafficking and money laundering at the international level. Additionally, it is mentioned that the United States has used spy drones to monitor organized crime on Mexican territory with the aim of identifying fentanyl labs.
