CJNG Plaza Boss Arrested in Cancún with Drugs and Weapons

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Emilio Alejandro “N”, alias “el H” or “Danone”, was arrested in the early hours of Friday, December 6, in Supermanzana 98 of Cancún. Elements of the Secretariat of Citizen Security, in coordination with the Navy and the Secretariat of National Defense, intercepted him while he was exchanging small bags of green vegetable matter with another individual in the trunk of a gray Kia Soul on José López Portillo Avenue. The companion managed to flee, but “el H” was subdued at the scene.

The routine inspection uncovered a criminal structure in full growth. The detainee was carrying 64 small bags with herb similar to marijuana, 23 with crystalline fragments of apparent crystal meth, and 19 with white powder type cocaine.

Authorities also secured a Glock 9 mm pistol, a magazine with 12 live cartridges, four cell phones, a backpack, and approximately 300,000 pesos in bills of various denominations.

The arsenal and money point to drug retail operations that go beyond a street transaction.

Alleged Plaza Boss and Leader of “Operativa Jaguar”

According to intelligence work, Emilio Alejandro “N” was considered the plaza boss of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) in the northern zone of Quintana Roo.

He operated in the municipalities of Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Morelos, Lázaro Cárdenas, Cozumel, Benito Juárez, and Isla Mujeres and is attributed with coordinating actions to expand the group’s territory under the designation “Deltas: Operativa Jaguar”, a cell to which weapons and tactical equipment with the same logos were recently seized.

Security sources indicated that his capture allows striking a network that aims to control drug retail and extortion in the Riviera Maya.

The authorities detailed that the arrest occurred thanks to surveillance patrols and intelligence analysis that allowed locating the suspects in flagrante delicto.

Upon noticing the presence of the agents, one of the individuals fled, but Emilio Alejandro was detained and transferred to the facilities of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office in Combating Drug Retail Crime. The coordination between federal and state corporations avoided a confrontation and allowed the securing of weapons and drugs without putting the population at risk.

A Blow to Criminal Finances

The seizure of 300,000 pesos, four phones, and a relatively new vehicle suggests that the cell not only trafficked drugs but also moved cash constantly. The state police highlighted that the main detainee coordinated the logistics to distribute drugs and recruit lookouts in several tourist cities. The confiscation of the Glock 9 mm pistol and the ammunition reinforces the presumption that the group possessed weapons to protect its operation.

The capture of “el H” adds to other recent blows against the CJNG in Quintana Roo and is part of a strategy to dismantle operational cells in the Riviera Maya. However, authorities and analysts recognize that the cartel’s firepower and capacity for reorganization force maintaining pressure and reinforcing surveillance in tourist and high-growth zones. The detainee was placed at the disposal of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office in Combating Drug Retail Crime, an instance that will determine his legal situation.

Although criminal organizations attempt to expand in the northern zone of Quintana Roo, the coordination between federal and state forces must yield results. The citizenry will continue demanding that these efforts translate into real security and that the authorities do not lower their guard against attempts by criminal groups to control the plaza.