Overview
- A Navy special‑forces ground patrol detained Israel Vizcarra Beltrán, known as El Palillo, on January 28 in the Tierra y Libertad Uno area of Culiacán.
- Security officials identify him as the plaza boss in El Dorado and an alleged leader of a synthetic‑drug cell linked to Los Mayos with activity in Sinaloa, Sonora, Nuevo León, Hidalgo, Puebla and the State of Mexico.
- His brother, Alexis Arnoldo “N,” was also arrested and is described as second in command for the Quilá and El Dorado plazas.
- Forces seized a rifle, a handgun, about 220 cartridges, roughly one kilogram of suspected drugs, communications equipment and a vehicle.
- Authorities cite an active arrest warrant in Guanajuato and federal allegations of organized crime and illicit financial operations, and say the arrests followed coordinated intelligence work by the Navy and the federal security secretariat with local support, with both suspects and the seized items turned over to ministerial authorities.