At least 11 suspected criminals were killed in northern Mexico during a security operation targeting a residence tied to the Los Mayos faction of the country’s powerful Sinaloa Cartel, the country’s Navy said in March 2026. Omar Oswaldo Torres, known as “El Patas,” a leader in Los Mayos, was detained during the operation, the Navy said. Officials did not identify anyone killed in the operation.
The Navy said its personnel were attacked after arriving at the site in Sinaloa state on March 19, after which “in accordance with the legal framework, they repelled the assault.” The Navy also said it located the daughter of a crime boss during the operation, but she was released to her family after it determined she had no ties to criminal activities.
It also seized high-powered and tactical weapons at the scene. In February, another Mexican military operation killed Nemesio Oseguera, known as “El Mencho,” the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, during an operation in Jalisco state.
The operation that killed El Mencho is part of a broader fight against transnational criminal organizations. Security forces in Mexico have detained over 20,000 people for major crimes since President Claudia Sheinbaum took office in October 2024. Mexico also has shipped about 100 suspected cartel drug traffickers to the United States since January 2025.
The crackdown has resulted in record drug and arms seizures. Authorities have confiscated more than 320 metric tons of illegal drugs, including the largest fentanyl bust in Mexican history (over 1,000 kilograms) in Sinaloa. The Mexican government also has seized 18,000 firearms under Sheinbaum, Mexican Secretary of National Defense Gen. Ricardo Trevilla Trejo said.