Last Sunday, March 29th, a van exploded near the Felipe Ángeles International Airport, in the municipality of Tecámac, causing the deaths of two men, including a presumed operator of the Sinaloa Cartel, identified by several media as Francisco Beltrán “El Payín”.
The Explosion and the Victims
The incident occurred when the van was traveling on the federal Mexico-Pachuca highway, in the Haciendas del Bosque subdivision, shortly after one of the occupants was picked up after arriving at the airport. According to preliminary reports, there was an artifact inside the van that detonated suddenly, although authorities have not yet officially closed the investigation into the exact cause of the explosion.
The victims were identified by national media reports as Francisco Beltrán “El Payín” and Humberto Raquel “N”. Both were allegedly from the state of Sinaloa and had supposed links to organized crime, although the State of Mexico's Attorney General's Office keeps various lines of investigation open to confirm this information.
Who was “El Payín”?
According to journalistic reports, “El Payín” was considered an operator of the Sinaloa Cartel, with logistical functions within the criminal structure, although the official details of his criminal history have not yet been confirmed by the authorities.
Different versions indicate that his arrival at AIFA and subsequent transfer by car were followed by an explosion that ended his life and that of his companion.
After the detonation, security elements and emergency services cordoned off the area and closed traffic on the road to protect the perimeter while experts carried out the corresponding procedures.
Investigations are now focused on determining whether it was an artifact placed before the van left or if the explosion was caused by internal factors within the vehicle. In addition, authorities are analyzing surveillance footage and forensic evidence to reconstruct the last movements of the occupants.
