SEATTLE - The Sinaloa Cartel faction known as "Los Chapitos" has suffered another major blow to its organigram with the detention of two cartel members in Culiacán.
During a joint operation between military personnel as well as members of Interpol Mexico, authorities in Sinaloa secured the arrests of Julio César Méndez Vega, alias "El Spider" and José Candelario García Delaherran in two separate operations. According to reports, both individuals were wanted by the U.S. Marshals for crimes against health and safety through drug trafficking as well as homicide.
In a statement, Mexico's Secretariat of Security and Public Safety (SSPC) said the arrests were possible due to previous intelligence reports in Sinaloa that helped members of the Army, Navy and National Guard locate "generators of violence" in the Culiacán region.
Investigations showed the presence of an individual that had an extradition warrant from the U.S. government that was hiding inside a property in Culiacán. Law enforcement located his whereabouts and conducted a search in the neighborhood of Villa del Real on Dec. 11 , where they secured the arrest of "El Spider."
The following day, members of Interpol Mexico carried out the second arrest against alleged members of "Los Chapitos" in the city of Guamúchil, located less than 100 miles north of Culiacán.
According to the SSPC statement, authorities were only able to locate José Candelario García Delaherran thanks to an exchange of intel between various agencies that identified the suspect conducted his illicit activities in the city of Guamúchil. Law enforcement patrolled the area until they found Delaherran, who is accused of homicide and also wanted by the U.S. government.
Both suspects count with extradition warrants, so once arrested by Mexican authorities they will be transferred to Mexico City to speed up the process.
"The Security Cabinet reinforces its commitment to work alongside other security institutions to identify and capture generators of violence that harm the population," the statement read.
According to Infobae Mexico, "El Spider" has deep links with "Los Chapitos" while Delaherran is linked to a criminal group that operates in Guamúchil.
Although the most recent ones, Mexican authorities have made other arrests of key generators of violence in Sinaloa that are also wanted by U.S. officials.
In a similar operation earlier this week, units of Mexico's Attorney General's Office, National Guard, Interpol and units of Mexico's Ministry of Defense (SEDENA) along with the Navy secured the arrest of Jehonany Alexander Valdéz Serrano, also known as "El Quinientos", "Napoléon," and "El Ingeniero" in what was called "Operativo Sinaloa."
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) had been looking for "El Quinientos" as part of an international investigation. He is wanted by the U.S. District Court Southern District of California for crimes against people's health and safety as well as for its role in illicit activities such as drug trafficking.
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