Authorities Arrest Man Alleged to Be Jalisco Cartel's Third-in-Command In Mexico

Mexican authorities dealt a significant blow to the leadership structure of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) with the arrest of a man alleged to be the cartel's third-in-command.

The arrest followed an operation in Zapopan, Jalisco, that resulted in the capture of Armando "G.," also known as "Delta 1," who authorities say worked as a recruiter for the Jalisco cartel, led by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias "El Mencho."

Delta 1 was arrested during the morning of Dec. 18. According to Mexico's National Detention Registry, it was the third time he had been detained and the most recent since October 2024, when National Guard officers arrested him in possession of a high-caliber gun, magazines and more than a kilogram of methamphetamine.

Mexican media outlets reported that Delta 1 was detained while driving a Lamborghini Urus through the streets of Zapopan. Army troops, National Guard members and federal forces intercepted him following intelligence and surveillance operations.

According to investigations by the Defense Department and the Attorney General's Office, Delta 1 is responsible for leading a CJNG cell known as "Los Deltas," which operates primarily in the Guadalajara metropolitan area. Authorities have linked the group to killings, kidnappings, extortion and clashes with security forces.

In a statement released in 2024, Mexican authorities identified Delta 1 as the cartel's third-ranking leader in Guadalajara and described him as a key figure behind the group's expansion into the state of Michoacán. Authorities also accused him of exerting influence and control inside the high-security Puente Grande prison, where they say he coordinated kidnappings, killings and extortion schemes.

One of the crimes he has been linked to is the killing of Jorge Aristóteles Sandoval Díaz, a former governor of Jalisco who was assassinated in 2018 inside a bar in the tourist zone of Puerto Vallarta.

According to Infobae México, intelligence reports identified Delta 1 as one of the main suspects, describing him as both an operator and the possible mastermind behind the killing, though authorities have said there is no formal evidence or criminal case against him for the homicide.

More recently, Jalisco Attorney General Salvador González de los Santos confirmed that several investigative lines remain open in the former governor's killing and said authorities are still searching for two additional suspects identified in surveillance footage from the night of the crime.

Federal government intelligence units have also identified Delta 1 as the alleged operational and intellectual author of attacks against military personnel in multiple municipalities across the state of Michoacán.

Armando "G." remains in federal custody while authorities determine his legal status. In May 2025, he was released from prison after a federal judge granted him house arrest, a decision that drew scrutiny given his alleged role as a key CJNG operator.