Juárez Cartel Leader Captured

Photo by: Juan José García

By: Gregorio Prieto|Translated by Valor for Borderland Beat

After a huge operation in the municipality of Villa Ahumada in the state of Chihuahua, Jesús Salas Aguayo, “El Chuyín” was captured. The operation consisted of 450 agents belonging to the federal police, the Attorney General's Office, and supported by the Mexican Army; as well as armored vehicles and six helicopters belonging to the Attorney General's Office. “El Chuyín” is identified as the successor of the former leader of the Juárez Cartel, Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, “El Viceroy”.

The operation started around 7:00a.m. on Friday with the goal of locating several criminals engaged in organized crime in the region who maintain control of the sale of drugs and who have eluded the presence of the police force.

A state official said that during the military operation, four men were arrested and no one was killed. However, based on other versions, it was reported that one man had been killed in an orange truck that was shot up.

In an interview with Omnia, the attorney general, Jorge González Nicolás, explained that this is the largest special operation that has been made by the federal police in the state of Chihuahua. The attorney general is seeking several heads of the criminal group known as “La Línea”, which is the enforcer unit of the Juárez Cartel. Among these leaders was “El Chalo”, who was killed this year. Besides heads, they will also go after all the people who are operating, as the police force knows that this is an important location for the smuggling of drugs.

He also said that the helicopters were used due to the environment of the municipality of Villa Ahumada, since it is the best way to reach the corners that they need to go to and also to arrive by surprise. They were also trying to locate camps belonging to the criminal group “La Línea”, who take advantage of the geographical location of the plateau in order to anticipate the arrival of the authorities. They also revealed that the operation had been a secret, precisely to prevent criminals from feeling the site.

Finally, he mentioned that the operation was done by the federal police; the Attorney General's Office only contributed in intelligence gathering, with information already gathered and shared by the federal police in the last two months.

Sources: Omnia, Sipse, DEA