A federal judge sentenced 18 members of the Sinaloa Cartel to prison terms ranging from nine to ten years. They were arrested with drugs and weapons in Tonalá, Chiapas.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, the defendants were found guilty of drug trafficking, as well as illegal possession of firearms and ammunition and magazines restricted to the military.
The events occurred in September 2024, when members of the National Defense Secretariat and the National Guard arrested them in the Hermanos Serdán neighborhood following a report of armed civilians. Upon arrival, the suspects attempted to flee and fired at the officers, leading to a chase.
The detainees took refuge in a building, where they were ultimately apprehended. The operation resulted in the seizure of 4.9 kilograms of cocaine, marijuana, scales, long and short firearms, more than 70 rounds of ammunition, and nine vehicles. Among those sentenced, Jesús Héctor López Portillo received the harshest sentence: 10 years, 5 months, and 18 days in prison. The rest were sentenced to 9 years, one month, and one day.
Following their arrest, the case was handled by the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime, which obtained the convictions.
Source: reforma
