For decades, the state of Querétaro was known as a sanctuary for drug traffickers. Leaders of organized crime chose this state as their personal refuge, where they could live in peace, far from the territorial disputes and violence that marked their operations in other regions.
In luxurious properties, the bosses lived, held meetings and parties, but they also died or were captured while trying to flee from the authorities or rivals in this city that promised to make them go unnoticed.
However, the recent attack at the bar “Los Cantaritos”, where 10 people were killed, has exposed the growing security crisis in Querétaro, evidencing the active presence of criminal groups in the state.
According to security experts, such as journalist Oscar Balderas, this massacre is only one of the first consequences of a tragedy that had already shown signs that the state was decomposing, proof of this is the rising number of missing persons in the capital and the theft of vehicles.
Querétaro has become a key point on the drug trafficking map in Mexico due to its privileged location in the center of the country, connecting the main routes to the north and south, as well as its proximity to states such as Guanajuato and Michoacán.
In Querétaro, groups such as the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel (CSRL), the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG), and offshoots of the Knights Templar and Beltrán Leyva, as well as Los Hades, have a presence.
In addition, its modern infrastructure, which includes road networks, industrial parks and a major airport, allows the cartels to move drugs, weapons and money mixed with legal activities such as extortion.
The origin of the refuge: agreements between cartels
According to a note published by La Opinión de México in February 2023, among the same Querétaro residents there is a version that at the end of the nineties a drug conclave was held in the Juriquilla subdivision where the great leaders of the Mexican cartels agreed to have a peaceful party, divide territories and cooperate with each other.
This agreement allowed drug trafficking families to settle in the region under peaceful conditions, turning the state into a neutral space without territorial disputes.
Years later, the most exclusive subdivisions of Querétaro, such as El Campanario, Juriquilla and Loma Dorada, became drug traffickers’ refuges.
Which drug traffickers walked through Querétaro?
Among the figures who took Querétaro as their playground was Héctor Beltrán Leyva (“El H”), leader of the Beltrán Leyva Cartel, who had a mansion in Juriquilla. According to a report by El Universal Querétaro, the residence had white walls, a golden dome and religious figures carved in stone, reflecting the luxury in which the bosses lived in the region.
Another of the bosses who decided to settle in that state was Juan José Esparragoza Monzón, “El Azulito,” son of the co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, who maintained assets in Querétaro under the guise of a local businessman.
Taking advantage of the state’s tranquility, bosses and their families led active social lives and used Querétaro as a base of operations. However, over time, some met an abrupt end.
Ángel Humberto Chávez Gastélum, “Don Ángel,” considered one of the most wanted drug traffickers, was captured in 2018 in a luxury restaurant on Bernardo Quintana Boulevard. The Navy, the Gendarmerie and Interpol participated in the operation.
Likewise, David López Jiménez, “El Cabo 20”, arrested in 2020 in the Balcones Coloniales subdivision, identified as the leader of the Arellano Félix Cartel. His capture was the result of a joint operation between the FGR and the Navy.
There is also Vicente “N”, “La Garza”, arrested this November 14 on the northern bypass of Querétaro along with other members of the “Los Ardillos” group. His capture included the discovery of weapons and packages of cocaine with the logo of a squirrel, emblem of the criminal group.
On the other hand, Álvaro Sánchez Sánchez (“El Tartamudo”), a member of the Sánchez Brothers Cartel, was murdered in 2023 along with his family on his ranch in Tequisquiapan. According to the Diario de Querétaro, his murder marked an increase in acts of violence in the region.
The growth of drug trafficking in Querétaro has transformed the state from a peaceful sanctuary into a strategic territory for organized crime. The bosses who once found refuge in its luxurious properties have left a visible mark on the state, with stories of luxury, confrontations and arrests.
Source: infobae
