From Los Chapitos to Los Benjamínes: The Rise and Fall of Mexico’s Most Powerful Narco Dynasties

The role of the family is key in criminal structures (Infobae)

The sense of family or clan has been a key pillar in many criminal organizations spread throughout the world. Mexico has not been the exception, since most of the large drug cartels have been established as family dynasties.

Although in several cases they tend to keep a low profile, the relatives of drug traffickers play a fundamental role for the cartels because successors to drug lords frequently emerge from among them.

Other family members are in charge of financial operations, and most commonly they establish businesses or acquire property to launder the proceeds from illicit business.

The Chapitos or Minors

The so-called “Chapitos” have become a headache for the United States Government. (ICE)

Currently, the Zambada and Guzmán lineages have the highest criminal recognition in the Sinaloa Cartel, as well as the resources and connections to assume the central leadership, although there are other structured and complementary factions at the regional level.

Since 2016, when they took over the reins left by their father, the Chapitos have shown that their interest is to stay in front, regardless of whether that entails internal battles and without respecting previous commitments that, in any case, they must evaluate to keep them under their conditions.

Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, Ovidio Guzmán López and Joaquín Guzmán López recovered and maintained the inherited narco-empire, but their impulsiveness as a new breed of narco juniors generated tensions with Mayo Zambada.

Los Chapitos have been characterized by the use of disproportionate violence, something that is not well seen among partners and residents who support the Sinaloa Cartel, who were used to the more affable and friendly treatment of Chapo Guzmán.

However, it is likely that Los Chapitos will rise as absolute owners in the Sinaloa Cartel, since they already know all the operational operations and criminal logistics.

The Mencho family

Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho” is the leader and founder of the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (Photo: Infobae México / Jovani Pérez)

The relatives of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho”, are usually involved in tasks and responsibilities for the operation of the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG).

Rosalinda González Valencia, mother of his children, was arrested on November 15, 2021 after being identified as the alleged financial operator of the criminal group.

The children of both also faced justice. Rubén Oseguera González, alias “El Menchito” was arrested for the second time (with weapons and 25 million pesos) in 2015 and extradited to the United States until 2020. He is still being held for organized crime.

Jessica Johanna Oseguera González, “La Negra”, was arrested for money laundering in February 2020 in Washington when she attended the hearing of her brother “El Menchito”. However, 25 months later she was released.

A US informant claimed that between 2011 and 2013 “La Negra” met with her father to review accounting records.

Behind the CJNG are also the “Cuinis”, a clan of 18 brothers – some say 12 – who form the financial and business arm of the criminal group.

The Beltran Leyva brothers

The Beltrán Leyva brothers were part of the Sinaloa Cartel (Special)

The Beltrán Leyva brothers’ clan worked alongside the Sinaloa Cartel until January 2008, when the authorities arrested Alfredo, alias “El Mochomo”, and then both groups, who had previously worked hand in hand, became enemies to be defeated. .

The brothers Marcos, Arturo and Carlos accused Chapo Guzmán of having handed over their brother and rebelled by forming their own independent criminal organization, the Pacific Cartel.

The war that followed the conflict was marked by significant losses on both sides. One of El Chapo’s sons, Édgar Guzmán López, 22, was murdered in a shopping center in Culiacán.

Arturo Beltrán, the “Boss of Bosses” ended up with his body covered in banknotes and pierced by projectiles at his home in Cuernavaca after a confrontation with members of the Secretary of the Navy. Fourteen days later Carlos was arrested.

The Beltrán Leyva, after becoming Chapo Guzmán’s greatest enemies, allied with other rival and bloodthirsty cartels such as “Los Zetas” and the Gulf Cartel.

In 2014, the last of the brothers, Héctor Beltrán Leyva, known as ‘El H’, was arrested. He was detained in the altiplano prison and died in 2018 due to cardiac arrest.

Tijuana or Arellano Félix cartel

The Arellano Félix family, who formed the Tijuana Cartel. (Darkroom)

The Arellano Félix brothers founded the Tijuana Cartel, based in the border city of the same name.

However, like the Beltrán Leyva, they soon entered into an atrocious war against the Sinaloa Cartel, then headed by El Chapo, Héctor Luis Palma Salazar, “El Güero” and “El Mayo” Zambada.

In February 2002, Ramón Arellano was killed in a confrontation with police in Sinaloa.

A week later, his older brother, Benjamin, who is now serving a 25-year sentence in the US, was arrested. And in 2006 the minor, Francisco Javier, was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment.

It was then that Eduardo, the last of the brothers, took control, who was in charge of the cartel for just over two years. He was arrested in a confrontation with federal police in October 2008.

Eduardo Arellano Félix was sentenced in May 2013 to 15 years in prison. Supposedly the heads of the cartel are Enedina Arellano Félix and “Los Benjamines”, who are the sons of Benjamín and Francisco Javier Arellano Félix.

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