Navy confirms sailor arrested with cartel leader in Mexico

Cancún, Quintana Roo — The scandal over alleged institutional complicity in Quintana Roo has reached official confirmation after the Mexican Navy (SEMAR) acknowledged last night the arrest of one of its personnel in the same operation where Emilio Alejandro “N”, alias “H” and/or “Danone”, identified as the plaza chief of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) in Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Puerto Morelos, Lázaro Cárdenas, Isla Mujeres, and Benito Juárez, was captured.

The Navy’s confirmation officially recognizes the serious infiltration of organized crime into the state’s security structures and simultaneously exposes the alleged cover-up attempt by the Citizen Security Secretariat (SSC).

The gravity of this situation is that the detained sailor was not just any personnel, as it appears to be First Petty Officer Matías “N”, Chief of C2 in Puerto Morelos, one of the plazas led by Emilio Alejandro “N”.

The SSC’s initially reported operation focused only on the capture of the criminal leader on José López Portillo Avenue in Cancún, near superblock 98.

In its official statement, the SSC omitted the arrest of the naval personnel, limiting itself to stating that there were two subjects and “one of them ran away and fled.”

Previous intelligence information suggested this omission was deliberate, seeking to avoid a scandal that would affect the Navy’s image and the militarization of security strategy.

However, the same Navy Secretariat, through the Fifth Naval Region, issued a statement last night confirming the apprehension of the active-duty naval personnel.

Nevertheless, the federal agency only indicated that the detention was made for engaging in conduct constituting “resistance to arrest,” a statement that contrasts dramatically with indications that placed First Petty Officer Matías “N” alongside the drug lord, supposedly protecting him.

The SSC reported that at the scene, authorities seized: a Kia Soul vehicle, 300,000 pesos in cash, a Glock 9mm pistol, magazines, and doses of marijuana, crystal meth, and cocaine.

Although the Navy’s statement does not mention it, the images included with the statement confirm it is the same detainee presented by the SSC, accompanied by an image of the detained sailor with a handgun and three magazines, plus another white vehicle.

Despite the circumstances of the arrest, the Navy Secretariat reaffirmed its commitment to the rule of law, stating that “no person is above the law” and guaranteeing full collaboration with competent authorities to clarify the facts and determine corresponding responsibilities.

Emilio Alejandro “N”, the alleged CJNG leader operating under the facade of a businessman, and the active-duty sailor were placed at the disposal of ministerial authorities.

This episode underscores the fragility of police corporations against the corrupting power of criminal groups and, above all, the lack of coordination between state and federal institutions.

It also calls into question the credibility of institutions when disclosing their versions when reporting on their arrests, as doubt has been sown about how true what they report is and how much they omit.