Mexican Authorities Arrest Key Associates of 'El Guano,' Including Alleged Right-Hand Man

Just days after rumors suggested Mexican authorities had detained Aureliano Guzmán Loera, known as "El Guano" and the older brother of Sinaloa cartel co-founder Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, an operation in the state of Durango led to the arrest of 10 suspected members of his criminal organization.

In a statement, Mexico's Defense Ministry said Army, National Guard and Navy personnel detained key figures tied to the group known as "Gente del Guano," led by Aureliano Guzmán. Among those arrested was Abel "N," identified by authorities as El Guano's right-hand man and most trusted bodyguard.

Authorities also arrested Eber Israel "N," described as a financial and logistics operator responsible for acquiring weapons, drones and explosives. Etzair Lugo "N" was also detained and identified as a security chief tasked with leading confrontations against rival groups, including the Beltrán Leyva organization and the faction known as La Mayiza.

During the operation in the municipality of Tamazula, in the mountainous region of Durango, authorities seized a minigun, 10 long guns of various calibers, a handgun, explosives, as well as magazines and ammunition.

The Defense Ministry said the operation was carried out with intelligence sharing between Mexican and U.S. authorities. Those detained were transferred to Culiacán, Sinaloa, as proceedings against them continue.

The hunt for El Guano

Earlier this week, a military operation in Sinaloa triggered speculation that El Guano had been captured. Mexico's top security official, Omar García Harfuch, denied those reports April 22 but confirmed a large-scale operation had taken place in Badiraguato, the birthplace of the Sinaloa cartel and long considered a stronghold for families tied to the group, including relatives of El Chapo and Aureliano Guzmán.

The operation involved air and ground resources, including Black Hawk helicopters and surveillance aircraft, while Culiacán's airport temporarily restricted activity to official flights under heightened federal security.

El Guano, believed to be around 80 years old, remains a key figure in Mexico's drug trafficking landscape and is also wanted by U.S. authorities. The U.S. State Department is offering a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture. He faces charges in Arizona, including conspiracy to distribute heroin, cocaine and fentanyl.

The reward has been in place for years. He has remained at large since 2022, after Mexican forces arrested five of his bodyguards who were posing as marines.

Ongoing violence in Sinaloa between Los Chapitos and La Mayiza has affected much of the state, including areas like Badiraguato, which for decades served as a haven for cartel members.

In February, local media reported an alleged drone attack in the community of La Tuna, in Badiraguato. The target was a ranch linked to El Guano, and reports suggested it was carried out by a rival group associated with Fausto Isidro Meza Flores, known as "El Chapo Isidro," and Óscar Manuel Gastélum, or "El Músico," who are engaged in an ongoing conflict with El Guano's faction.

The violence is believed to have forced Aureliano Guzmán to leave Badiraguato and seek refuge in the mountainous region of Durango, an area that has historically protected high-profile cartel leaders from being tracked or captured.