The remnants of the once-powerful Sinaloa Cartel faction, Los Chapitos, are rapidly disappearing as Mexican authorities and their US counterparts continue to dismantle the group. The latest blow came with the capture of Moisés Barnabé Barraza Acosta, aka Berna or Chupón, described by authorities as the leader of a criminal cell responsible for contract killings and drug trafficking.
The arrest was part of a joint security operation in Culiacán that also netted three other alleged hitmen: Noe Moreno Montes, aka Pinpon; Jesús Iván Robles Meraz; and Luis Antonio Ibarra Payan. The group was found with an arsenal of firearms and equipment, including bulletproof vests and tire spikes.
Los Chapitos, named after their leaders, being the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, have been a target of Mexican authorities and US law enforcement since Washington declared war on them in 2023. The group’s leaders, Iván Archivaldo Guzmán and Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, remain at large but are increasingly cornered by security forces.
The capture of Barnabé is the latest chapter in a series of arrests that have dealt significant blows to Los Chapitos. In September 2023, Ovidio Guzmán López, aka El Ratón, was extradited to the US and began negotiations with prosecutors. His surrender came after he kidnapped Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, the historic capo of the Sinaloa Cartel, in a move that sparked a war between his loyalists and Los Chapitos.
The recent capture of Barnabé has raised suspicions about disproportionate targeting of Los Chapitos by security forces. According to official figures, by the end of May, 72 Chapitos had been arrested compared to 23 Mayitos – a count that does not include those killed.
Mexican authorities have announced several high-profile captures in Sinaloa, including Juan Pablo “El Payo” Bastidas Erenas, a member of the Beltrán Leyva cartel working for Oscar “El Músico” Manuel Gastélum. The recent capture of Barnabé underscores Los Chapitos’ downward spiral as their ranks continue to shrink and they become increasingly trapped.
The group’s leader, Iván Archivaldo Guzmán, has narrowly escaped capture through a tunnel, according to an investigation by The Wall Street Journal. What remains of Los Chapitos is desperately trying to survive through alleged alliances with old enemies like the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Anything to avoid extinction.
Source: El Pais
