Mexican Officials Arrest 'El Carnal' in Southern Mexico, An Alleged Plaza Boss for the Jalisco Cartel in Chiapas

A multi-agency operation in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas led to the arrest of a man linked to the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and suspected of committing several violent crimes in the region.

Mexico's Security Minister Omar García Harfuch announced the arrest of Leonardo Arturo Leyva Ávalos, also known as "El Carnal," who authorities identified as a member of a criminal group involved in extortion, kidnapping, drug trafficking and homicide in Tabasco.

In a post on X, Harfuch said Leyva Ávalos served in 2021 as director of the Tabasco State Police under Hernán Bermúdez Requena, who was then the state's security and citizen protection secretary.

Bermúdez Requena has been named as the suspected leader of La Barredora, a criminal group operating across southern Mexico.

The arrest was made with help from state agents in Chiapas, where the operation took place. Infobae México reported that investigators followed several leads that led them to the area Leyva Ávalos was known to frequent.

According to Infobae México, Leyva Ávalos has been identified as a regional leader of a CJNG cell in Tabasco. His background as a public official also points to ties with La Barredora, a group that began as a CJNG cell dedicated to fuel theft, but in recent years, it has built its own criminal network and distanced itself from the cartel.

Reports confirmed by authorities point out that La Barredora operates in the Tabasco cities of Villahermosa, Huimanguillo, Cárdenas, Comalcalco and Paraíso, as well as in several cities in Chiapas. Infobae México reported earlier this year that La Barredora has ongoing disputes with rival organizations and maintains tactical alliances with smaller cells, including one known as Los Panteras.

Authorities have identified Bermúdez Requena, also known as "El Abuelo," as the head of La Barredora. He is currently facing legal proceedings after his arrest in September.

Bermúdez Requena spent nearly five days in custody in Paraguay after being detained Sept. 12 in a luxury home in a gated neighborhood in the city of Mariano Roque Alonso, on the outskirts of Asunción.

At the time of his arrest, "El Abuelo" was wanted under a warrant issued in February for organized crime, extortion and express kidnapping in Tabasco. He was also subject to an Interpol red notice confirmed by Mexican authorities in July.

According to intelligence reports cited by CNN, Bermúdez Requena has allegedly maintained ties to criminal groups since 1999 and may have been arrested in 2006 in connection with the killing of a rancher.

At the time of his arrest, Paraguayan authorities said Bermúdez Requena was planning to set up operations in Paraguay after entering the country illegally from Brazil.