On Friday afternoon, a confrontation between elements of the Mexican Army and the Secretariat of the Navy against an armed group in Tamazula, Durango, reportedly involved at least 10 detainees, among them Aureliano Guzmán Loera “El Guano,” brother of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera.
In the last hours of Friday, a federal operation was reported in the municipality of Tamazula, Durango, apparently to locate and capture El Guano, for whom the U.S. government is offering a 5 million dollar reward.
According to local media, the federal operation began around 5:00 a.m. this Friday in El Durazno, Tamazula.
Unofficially, it is reported that at least eight armed forces helicopters and 200 military personnel were deployed in an operation to capture a priority target.
In addition, it is unofficially reported that the Mexican Army has secured several properties and a hotel in the area. However, no authorities have officially reported on this operation or confirmed any arrests.
El Durazno, which belongs to the municipality of Tamazula, is located in the mountains of Durango, on the border with the states of Sinaloa and Chihuahua, an area known as the Golden Triangle.
No official confirmation of the arrest
A few hours after 24 hours after operations were reported in the mountains of Durango, specifically in the community of El Durazno, no federal authorities came out to clarify or give details of what happened.
They have only reported the arrest of three alleged criminals with weapons in the Badiraguato area, who were seized with an arsenal, tactical equipment, and alleged drugs. Aureliano Guzmán Loera, “El Guano,” the father of El Guanito, is not mentioned among them.
These individuals were arrested during aerial patrols when they were detected and subsequently detained to be presented to federal authorities.
Although local media in Durango reported that the operations aimed to capture Aureliano Guzmán Loera, “El Guano,” and some even said that he could be among those arrested, at the moment, no federal force has confirmed this version.
Although it was reported in local media in Durango, it is not certain that “Federal authorities have arrested El Guano.”
The governor of Sinaloa, Rubén Rocha Moya, said that the Mexican Secretary of Public Security informed him of the operation and the arrest of three people but did not give further details.
Who is El Guano?
Aureliano Guzmán Loera is the alleged leader of “Los Guanos,” one of the Sinaloa Cartel factions operating in the mountains of Badiraguato, Sinaloa, and the Golden Triangle region.
“El Guano” is three years older than Joaquin Guzman “El Chapo,” serving a life sentence in a maximum security prison in the United States. Unlike his brother, Aureliano has gone largely unnoticed by the public eye.