Mexican Soldiers patrol Culiacán in September 2024. In November, Mexican Soldiers executed three operations near the U.S. border to arrest cartel members, seize guns and ammunition, and increase security. AFP/GETTY IMAGES
The Watch Staff
The Mexican Army and National Guard executed three high-risk operations across northern Mexico in November 2024, arresting a high-profile member of the Sinaloa cartel as part of a campaign that led to more than two dozen arrests. The operations also netted dozens of automatic weapons, thousands of rounds of ammunition and other evidence. The actions were the latest in a series of operations to combat transnational criminal organizations (TCO) that smuggle drugs, guns and people north to the U.S. border.
The first action took place on November 11, 2024, in Culiacán, Sinaloa, when an Army reconnaissance mission identified several armed individuals operating in the rural El Conejo area of the Sindicatura de Costa Rica in Culiacán. The suspects attempted to flee when confronted, according to a Ministry of Defense news release. Mexican Soldiers established a perimeter to cut off their escape and arrested 14 people and seized 13 high-powered firearms, ammunition and a vehicle.
The next day, Mexican Army forces arrested a gang leader known as “El Tony,” the alleged leader of a Sinaloa cartel, in Tijuana. The Sinaloa cartel’s leader is believed to be responsible for violence in Baja California, according to Ministry of Defense news release. The Attorney General’s Office executed an arrest order with Army Soldiers and National Guardsmen providing security in El Pìpila neighborhood of Tijuana. El Tony was one of four people arrested. Two firearms, a large quantity of ammunition, three vehicles and a property were confiscated, the release stated. The arrestees were transferred to the Attorney General’s Office in Tijuana.
Mexican troops executed a third operation that same day — November 12, 2024 — in Sonora when National Guardsmen and Mexican Army Soldiers conducted “land reconnaissance” in the San Vicente neighborhood of Saric in an effort “to strengthen the rule of law in the country and detect illicit activities,” according to a Ministry of Defense news release. During the operation, the troops were attacked by armed people in moving vehicles. The troops responded with force, prompting the attackers to flee. They left behind 11 high-powered firearms, 25 improvised explosive devices, thousands of rounds of ammunition, tactical gear and five vehicles, two of which had armor, according to the release.
The three actions demonstrate a continued effort to weaken TCOs operating in Mexico and bolster safety and security on both sides of the 3,145-kilometer border between the countries. “In this way, the National Guard and the Mexican Army reaffirm the unwavering decision of the Federal Government to inhibit the activities of organized crime, to ensure and safeguard the peace and security of the population,” the release stated.