In September 2011, the now defunct Attorney General’s Office (PGR) issued an announcement of million-dollar rewards for information to arrest several criminal leaders.
The largest sums were offered for information related to Manuel Torres Félix, alias ‘El Ondeado’ or ‘M1’, and Gonzalo Inzunza Inzunza, alias ‘Macho Prieto’. Also included on the list was Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias ‘El Mencho’.
Within the section of criminal leaders whose head was worth up to one million pesos, the PGR mentioned Salvador Granados Vargas, alias ‘Chava Granados’. Five years later, the reward for this individual rose to three million pesos. He was on the same level of relevance as Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga, alias ‘El Pez’, head of La Familia Michoacana.
Despite the many offers, ‘Chava Granados’ remains at large and currently heads the Los Granados criminal organization, with a presence in the Costa Grande region of Guerrero.
The origins of this group can be traced back at least to the end of the 2000s. On April 14, 2009, elements of the National Defense Secretariat (Sedena) captured Rubén Granados Vargas, alias ‘El Nene’, Salvador’s brother who was identified as one of the main lieutenants of the Beltrán Leyva Cartel in the Costa Grande of Guerrero.
“Rubén Granados was in charge of controlling the planting, harvesting and drug trafficking activities in the municipalities of Tecpan de Galeana, Petatlán and Teniente José Azueta, as well as several of the executions and kidnappings that occurred in that region of the state of Guerrero,” the Sedena established at that time.
Various news reports indicate that brothers Rubén and Salvador Granados had joined the Beltrán Leyva cartel in 2008 and shortly after formed their own cell to operate on behalf of the clan.
After his capture in 2009, ‘El Nene’ was released under unknown circumstances. In April 2017 he was re-arrested by the Federal Police in Tecpan de Galeana, but a control judge ordered his release days later.
It is presumed that, by that time, Los Granados had already managed to expand their operations to municipalities such as La Unión, Coahuayutla de José María Izazaga, José Azueta and Zihuatanejo.
In the beginning, Los Granados were engaged in a frontal struggle for control of drug trafficking on the Costa Grande against the group led by Rogaciano Alba Álvarez, alias ‘Don Roga’, an ally of Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán who died in September 2020 after contracting Covid-19.
According to military reports cited by Milenio in July 2023, Los Granados were fighting over the production of opium gum in Tecpan de Galeana with the Los Chanos group. However, by that time they were no longer considered generators of violence due to the low incidence of crime in the municipality.
This perception changed shortly after, specifically on October 23, 2023, when 13 police officers from the municipality of Coyuca de Benítez were executed. According to statements from people close to the victims, the massacre was orchestrated by ‘Chava Granados’ as a form of retaliation, since the agents had refused to work for him and his criminal group.
‘Chava Granados’ was mentioned in a video released by armed civilians, who identified themselves as members of an independent group called Guerrero Nueva Generación, or GNG.
We are an independent armed group, we do not belong to any cartel. Take precautions […] We came to finish off the Los Granados cartel, these scumbags who only dedicate themselves to stealing, kidnapping, and robbing families to keep their assets,” can be heard at the beginning of the recording.
With this material, the armed group warned of a violent incursion in Tecpan de Galeana, which occurred on October 24 and unleashed multiple clashes with the security forces.
Source: infobae
