Drug cartels

Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts defended ongoing U.S. military strikes targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean, citing alleged ties between narcotraffickers and Venezuela's armed forces.

Since Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla took office in October 2021, seven mayors in Michoacán have been assassinated and one elected official remains missing since 2021.

President Sheinbaum stressed that violence should not be answered with more violence and said that actions must remain within the law.

Leonardo Arturo Leyva Ávalos' background as a public official also points to ties with La Barredora, a group that began as a Jalisco cartel cell dedicated to fuel theft.

The report found that most victims were young people from low-income or vulnerable communities and that they were arbitrarily killed or disappeared by federal, state or municipal authorities.

The arrest of Martín de Jesús "N" is the second this month by federal forces targeting members of Los Gigios. Earlier in October, authorities captured the Nogales plaza boss for La Mayiza, a Sinaloa Cartel faction loyal to Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada.

According to the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, Mexico ranks 121 out of 180 countries, making it the most dangerous country for journalists in Latin America.

Heavy losses and La Mayiza's rising dominance have sparked a wave of defections from Los Chapitos, with several operators switching allegiances to join the faction led by Ismael Zambada Sicairos, alias " Mayito Flaco."

The Los Chapitos–CJNG alliance holds central and northwestern coastal areas of Sinaloa, while in the south, including Mazatlán, both factions continue to contest territories.

For many years, the Cabrera Sarabia family worked alongside the Sinaloa Cartel, but their direct connection to Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada strengthened after the arrest and extradition of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.

Residents of jailed drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's hometown are fleeing after a series of attacks using drones carrying explosives.

With a growing need to fill secondary roles such as logistics, storage, drug processing and the management of local operations, criminal groups increasingly turned to women.

Despite being nearly 140 miles south of where the conflict began, Mazatlán has seen a significant rise in homicides and kidnappings compared with last year, severely impacting the local economy.

According to Mexican media, Francisco Ernesto Félix Romero was involved in both drug smuggling and human trafficking operations into the U.S., taking advantage of Nogales's strategic location along the border.

According to the outlet, Ramírez financed the event just days before being arrested by federal authorities in Jalisco on charges related to extortion and drug trafficking.

A multi-agency operation resulted in the seizure of more than 500 kilograms and 130 liters of methamphetamine, along with thousands of fentanyl pills recovered at multiple sites in the state of Sinaloa.

President Donald Trump likened transnational drug cartels to ISIS and vowed to "eliminate the cartel presence in America once and for all."

According to an expert, in recent years more than 30,000 minors ages 13 to 17 have been recruited by criminal organizations across Mexico.

Many of the municipalities hit the hardest by devastating floods lie within territories where violent clashes are common, as rival criminal groups continue fighting in the region.

Despite rising tensions between the United States and Venezuela, Mexican officials say they do not believe their country faces a similar risk of U.S. military action, at least for now.

As communities work to recover from devastating floods, a recent report reveals how drug cartels are taking advantage of the crisis to expand their control and win support in the hardest-hit areas.

Cartel operatives are reportedly exploiting Ukraine's limited vetting of foreign recruits, where background checks are rare and credentials often go unverified, allowing individuals with criminal ties to enlist with minimal oversight.

U.S. immigration authorities are investigating intelligence indicating that Mexican drug cartels, working in coordination with U.S.-based gangs and extremist groups, have placed tiered bounties on ICE and CBP officials

Drug cartels are increasingly changing the ways in which they send narcotics to the U.S. as the Trump administration continues its deployment to the Caribbean and its strikes against vessels allegedly carrying illegal substances

"Everyone who knows my son Julio knows perfectly well that he is not connected to a drug cartel or weapons or anything like that. Has he had addiction problems? Yes, indeed, just like me. But he is fighting it," Chávez Sr. said.

At the time of "Llanero's" arrest, Mexican Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said authorities seized a firearm, tactical gear, drugs, and a vehicle.

Residents say no authority has moved in to protect them and that the violence continues, making it impossible to know how many people have been killed or disappeared as whole communities remain under threat.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that cartels, gangs, and terrorist organizations have placed bounties on U.S. federal immigration agents, offering up to $10,000 to kill them and $2,000 to kidnap them.

The Department of Justice released a secret opinion justifying strikes against cartels and suspected drug traffickers, according to a new report

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced new sanctions targeting eight Mexican nationals and 12 Mexican companies allegedly linked to Los Chapitos, a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel battling for control of the drug trafficking organization in northern Mexico.