Federal and local authorities arrested nine people allegedly linked to a criminal group dedicated to drug dealing, extortion, robbery, and kidnapping, after executing five search warrants at properties located in Mexico City in Mexico City (CDMX) and in the State of Mexico.

According to the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), the operations were carried out in the boroughs of Gustavo A. Madero and Azcapotzalco, as well as in the municipality of Tultitlan, north of the metropolitan area, following several citizen complaints alerting authorities to the storage and distribution of drugs in homes in these areas.

The investigations included intelligence work, fixed and mobile surveillance, as well as reconnaissance patrols. Based on the collected data, a judge authorized the searches, which were carried out without the use of violence and under protocols respecting human rights. During the operations, authorities seized various quantities of drugs, including marijuana, cocaine, and crystal meth, as well as cash, cell phones, loaded chargers, and vehicles. In the Gustavo A. Madero borough, agents seized one kilogram of cocaine, more than 160 doses of the substance, in addition to marijuana and crystal meth. Two men, ages 41 and 45, and a 19-year-old woman were arrested at that location. In another operation in the same district, a 52-year-old woman and a 28-year-old man were arrested, and cash was seized.

Tractors, drugs, and merchandise seized in raids

In Azcapotzalco, the operations resulted in the arrest of three more people and the seizure of money, drugs, a motorcycle, and communications equipment. In another property in the same borough, authorities seized approximately 300 kilograms of marijuana.

Meanwhile, in the municipality of Tultitlan, State of Mexico, agents seized a large number of vehicles, including five cars,Motorcycles and more than 20 tractor-trailer trucks, both with and without trailers, were seized, along with cargo boxes, various merchandise, and doses of drugs. Authorities also reported the arrest of an additional individual during patrols, who was found with bags of marijuana, others containing a solid substance, and cash. According to the investigation, those arrested are believed to be part of a violent criminal organization. However, the group's name was not specified. All the properties were placed under police guard, while the detainees were turned over to the Public Prosecutor's Office, which will determine their legal status. Authorities reiterated that individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty through a court of law. Organized crime in Mexico City operates primarily through street-level drug dealing and local criminal cells that are expanding their reach; After years of official denial, the discourse changed under Claudia Sheinbaum's administration as head of government in the capital, and joint operations with local authorities, the Army, and the Navy became more common.