On Thursday, April 26, elements of the Navy Secretariat (Semar), along with the Attorney General's Office, arrested Saúl "N," alias "El Pelón."

 

Saúl "N" was located in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, and subsequently deported to the United States. He was a fugitive from American justice for crimes such as smuggling of goods, arms trafficking, and ammunition. He operated under a false identity in Ciudad Juárez and was handed over at the Stanton border crossing.

 

This is not the first encounter authorities have had with "El Pelón." In 2017, he was arrested along with Miguel Ángel Amaya Loya, alias "Chito," leader of "La Línea," carrying weapons, drugs, and a considerable sum of cash.

 

According to reports from naval intelligence agencies and the United States, "El Pelón" was the second in command of "La Línea," a criminal group associated with activities such as executions, extortion, kidnappings, drug trafficking, and arms sales in Ciudad Juárez since 2016. The organization has maintained a fierce rivalry with other criminal gangs, such as "La Empresa" and "Gente Nueva," linked to the Sinaloa Cartel.

 

One particularly violent incident associated with "La Línea" was the multihomicide of the LeBaron family in Bavispe in November 2019, which attracted international attention.

 

According to the Attorney General's Office of Chihuahua (FGE), "El Pelón" supervised the distribution and retail sale of drugs in Ciudad Juárez, operating under the names of "La Línea" and "Los Aztecas," mainly in neighborhoods to the west and center of the city.

 

He operated alongside other members such as Luis Roberto Lares Gallardo, alias "El Chino Lares," and Juan Carlos Gallegos Ramírez, alias "El Pitbull," the latter murdered in March 2017. On the side of "La Línea," Miguel Ángel Amaya Loya, alias "El Chito," collaborated.

 

The then attorney general, César Augusto Peniche, and the secretary of public security, Ricardo Realivázquez Domínguez, pointed out that these criminal groups operated with impunity, allowing the mass circulation of drugs.

 

According to organized crime mapping, at least 60% of the control and trafficking of retail drugs in Ciudad Juárez was controlled by members of "La Línea."