VALLADOLID, YUCATAN — Federal security forces executed a high-stakes intelligence operation in eastern Yucatán, arresting Héctor Manuel G.G., known by his aliases “El Kado” or “El Kazador,” a high-ranking lieutenant in the Tijuana-based Arellano Félix Cartel.
The arrest took place without a single shot fired at a ranch property in the municipality of Valladolid. According to investigative reports by Sol Yucatán, the operation was carried out jointly by the Mexican Navy (SEMAR), the Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection (SSPC), the Attorney General’s Office (FGR), and the National Intelligence Center (CNI).
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents actively tracked the suspect and provided actionable intelligence regarding his movements, enabling Mexican federal forces to pinpoint his location.
“El Kado” is classified as a high-priority target for both Mexican and U.S. federal authorities. Intelligence reports place him close to the inner circle of Pablo Edwin Huerta Nuño, alias “El Flaquito,” a key figure orchestrating international drug trafficking and money laundering routes for the Arellano Félix organization.
Historically operating out of northern border strongholds in Baja California—including Tijuana, Ensenada, and Tecate—”El Kado” coordinated broad criminal operations ranging from cross-border narcotics smuggling into the United States to extortion, kidnapping, and homicide.
Federal authorities suspect his presence in southeastern Mexico points to potential expansion plans by northern cartels looking to establish new transit routes toward the U.S., as well as a strategy to use quiet regional ranches as safehouses.
This high-profile capture marks the third major federal arrest of a top cartel operative in Yucatán within a two-week span. Just days prior, authorities detained Justo Aurelio “N,” an alleged financial operator linked to both the Caborca Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
The string of high-level arrests underscores a growing concern that southeastern Mexico, long marketed as one of the safest regions in the country, is increasingly serving as a hideout and financial hub for organized crime figures seeking to evade conflict zones in northern and central Mexico.
Source: Sol Yucatán
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