Mexican authorities have delivered a massive blow to the Sinaloa Cartel faction known as "La Mayiza" after arresting a man that served as the clique's top fentanyl producer and had deep family ties with Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán and his sons.
Following a series of intelligence and surveillance reports, federal law enforcement in Sinaloa secured the arrest of Hernán Domingo Ojeda López, commonly known as "El Mero Mero," who was not only described as a generator of violence and a member of the Sinaloa Cartel but also the uncle of Ovidio Guzmán López, one of El Chapo's sons who is currently behind bars in the U.S.
According to local reports, "El Mero Mero" was arrested in the municipality of Badiraguato, known to be a stronghold for the Sinaloa Cartel. When authorities made the arrest they also seized a handgun and 800,000 pesos in cash as well as two bags full of fentanyl pills.
Who is "El Mero Mero?"
Born in Sinaloa, Ojeda López has been involved in large-scale drug trafficking for decades. He was arrested in the U.S. during the 1990's but returned to Mexico once he served his sentence.
Despite being the uncle and godfather of "El Ratón," Ojeda López decided to side with "La Mayiza," the Sinaloa Cartel faction answering to the son of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada instead of "Los Chapitos" after turf wars between the two Sinaloa Cartel cliques erupted in September.
According to lawyer César Gutiérrez Priego, "El Mero Mero" was one of the cartel's key members in its fentanyl, cocaine and heroin production and ever since siding with those loyal to Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, Ojeda López played a central figure in distributing fentanyl to the United States.
"It is worth remembering that, at the beginning, they were all a big family," Priego said. "But it is not the same following your nephew's orders than being involved in the mass production of drugs for La Mayiza. What matters more is money and power, not family," he added.
The lawyer said that López Ojeda's arrest is a "significant blow" for the Sinaloa Cartel, as he was singled out as not only one of Culiacán's biggest generators of violence, but also in Sinaloa's Golden Triangle region.
Priego warns that "El Mero Mero's" arrest could lead to retaliatory actions from La Mayiza, as well as a reshuffling of the organization's hierarchy as López Ojeda was an important figure in the organigram.
Wanted man by the FBI arrested in Sinaloa
Elsewhere in the state, another special operation involving Army, Navy and local law enforcement secured the arrest of Crescencio Moreno Aguirre, who had been on the radar of U.S. officials since at least 2021 due to drug trafficking charges.
Authorities found Moreno Aguirre thanks to surveillance reports around the Laureles Pinos neighborhood in Culiacán. Police that intercepted Moreno Aguirre's vehicle found plastic bags with fentanyl pills inside. He was wanted by the FBI for his alleged involvement in a large-scale drug trafficking organization.
The arrest of the two drug lords was part of a series of operations aimed at boosting security in Sinaloa, who has seen more than 500 homicide reports since September.
Apart from Moreno Aguirre and López Ojeda, authorities made 10 arrests across several states for their involvement in a human trafficking network targeting migrants, according to government spokesperson.
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