Arrests of Soldiers Involved in Drug Trafficking

Authorities in Mexico have detained two active-duty soldiers who were clandestinely operating as part of a security firm while attempting to transport cocaine for a drug cartel in Michoacán state.

The situation unfolded this week during a military checkpoint in San Luis Rio Colorado, located in Sonora state. The soldiers were driving a white pickup truck adorned with the logo of a security company, claiming they were transporting valuables in a locked box. However, upon searching the vehicle, law enforcement discovered 165 blocks of cocaine.

The military confiscated the drugs and handed the soldiers over to federal authorities for further investigation and legal action. Initial reports suggested the soldiers were trying to move the narcotics to Tijuana, Baja California, where other members of the cartel would then smuggle it into California.

As per information from Mexican military officials, the two individuals in the truck were a sergeant and a corporal affiliated with the 2nd Troop of the 43rd Military Intelligence Department based in Uruapan, Michoacán. Sources indicate that these soldiers were acting as agents for a criminal group led by Juan José “El Abuelo” Farias, who directs a cartel that is linked to Cartel Unidos. Interestingly, he also presents himself as a leader of the self-defense movement within Michoacán. Over time, El Abuelo has clashed with various smaller factions and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

Last summer, the U.S. Department of Justice placed a $26 million bounty for information that could lead to Farias’s capture. He is currently wanted in the U.S. on multiple federal charges regarding drug trafficking conspiracies.