El Huerito’s Secret Labs in Yucatán Exposed

MEXICO — The expansion and dominance of the Sinaloa Cartel faction "Los Chapitos" across Mexican territory is a reality following the pursuit launched by federal security forces in Sinaloa. They are migrating to other territories and implementing synthetic drug laboratories to continue supplying the demanding U.S. market, despite the pursuit by federal authorities and Trumpist threats.

Recent journalistic reports have revealed that Los Chapitos have established laboratories for the processing of synthetic drugs in Quintana Roo—specifically in the municipalities of Felipe Carrillo Puerto and José María Morelos—and in Yucatán, in the city of Mérida.

Intelligence Reports Detail Operations

A report by journalist José Luis Montenegro, who specializes in national security issues, specifies that clandestine laboratories for processing synthetic drugs operate in the Yucatecan capital.

This information came to light when reports emerged of the alleged detention of Los Chapitos' cousin, Alejandro Guzmán López, known as "El Huerito," a figure very close to the heirs of El Chapo Guzmán and one of their principal operatives.

Guzmán López is identified as the main operator of the clandestine synthetic drug laboratories in both Quintana Roo and Yucatán. He works in these entities protected by local and federal authorities and in alliance with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

An intelligence report obtained by Diario Cambio 22 details the movements of the close cousin of Los Chapitos in Jalisco, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo. Following his detention in Tlajomulco, Jalisco, the reach and operational capacity of this individual, who is reportedly well-established in various Yucatecan and Quintana Roo municipalities, was confirmed. There, he has maintained a broad network of complicity to develop his illicit activities.

The Unconfirmed History of His Detention

Last weekend, reports circulated that Alejandro Guzmán López, cousin of "Los Chapitos" and one of the operators who has gained the most prominence following the internal war within the Sinaloa Cartel, had been detained. However, official confirmation never came.

Information revealed this past Tuesday by journalist José Luis Montenegro, citing a federal source, indicates that there was indeed a military operation carried out in the early hours of Saturday, August 30th, in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, Jalisco. There, Army members managed to intercept Guzmán López as he was leaving a party.

Alejandro Guzmán López, also known as "El Güerito," was detained along with three companions in two high-end trucks, identified as RAM TRX models valued at over 640,000 Mexican pesos each.

"During the military inspection—which occurred near an Army base—Guzmán López himself calmly identified himself with his real name. Inside the vehicles, weapons, marijuana, and 140,000 pesos in cash were found hidden in a double bottom in one of the trucks," the report stated.

The authorities photographed and registered the personal details of the detainees, who were transferred to a municipal jail to await being turned over to the Jalisco Prosecutor's Office.

Journalist Montenegro added that after remaining in custody for a few hours, Guzmán López was released after his lawyer alleged physical torture, arbitrary detention, and a lack of evidence regarding the possession of weapons and money.

According to the version obtained by the journalist, the release was allegedly facilitated following a payment, calling into question the application of justice for a figure linked to the Sinaloa Cartel.

Family Origins and Low Profile

According to information the journalist has detailed about this individual, the young drug lord has two tentative birth dates: February 8th or April 24th, 1996, and was born in Sinaloa. He is the son of Alejandro Guzmán Beltrán and Marta López Ramírez, who is the half-sister of Griselda López Pérez (the second wife of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán). This connection makes him a cousin of Los Chapitos: Iván Archivaldo, Jesús Alfredo, Joaquín, and Ovidio Guzmán.

From a young age, Guzmán López was involved in criminal activities due to his family environment. Unlike other cartel leaders, he maintains a discreet profile away from media spotlights and judicial processes, not yet being "detected" by U.S. authorities, who are "hunting" his cousins.

"According to Montenegro, citing a supposed confidential report he obtained from security authorities, this individual allegedly coordinates shipments of cocaine from South America to the United States and supervises fentanyl laboratories in Mérida and Puebla," the report states.

He also uses zones of the Yucatán Peninsula to coordinate the reception of drug shipments that generally arrive from Central and South America. Similarly, he acts as a financial intermediary and is alleged to receive between 700,000 and 800,000 pesos per month after expenses, reporting directly to Iván Archivaldo and Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar.

Until now, little was known about his operational activities within the Cartel, although his intervention is reportedly very effective thanks to the complicity he has maintained with local politicians and authorities in the areas where he operates. Furthermore, he employs bodyguards from security companies founded by U.S. ex-combatants.

The "Narcojunior" Profile and CJNG Links

Guzmán López's profile is linked to the phenomenon of the so-called "narcojuniors," young operators who, according to Montenegro, flaunt luxuries, stay in exclusive hotels, and travel to tourist destinations without major restrictions, thanks to the protection of political influences, business connections, and networks of complicity.

Montenegro underscored that Guzmán López maintains a network of alliances with members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), such as the lieutenant H8, linked to Audías Flores Silva, second in command of the CJNG.

Although this journalist asserts that El Güerito would be one of the figures who was tasked with brokering the alleged alliance between the CJNG and Los Chapitos in Sinaloa, it should be noted that Mexican authorities recently denied that such a pact between the two criminal groups exists due to a lack of evidence.