Major Federal Operation Targets El Guano in Badiraguato's Golden Triangle; Multiple Detainees Confirmed

Mexico's federal security forces launched a major coordinated operation on April 22, 2026 targeting Aureliano 'El Guano' Guzmán Loera — El Chapo's brother and a key figure who defected from the Chapitos to ally with La Mayiza — in Badiraguato municipality and the adjacent Tamazula area of Durango (Golden Triangle). The operation deployed at least five UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, Beechcraft T-6 Texan II aircraft equipped with communications interception systems, National Guard units, and Marine elements. Culiacán International Airport was temporarily restricted to official flights only, with federal Navy forces providing a security perimeter. Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch publicly confirmed the operation on April 22 and stated 'hay detenidos' (there are detainees), but declined to confirm their identities, stating the case remained under investigation. Blog del Narco reported alleged radio intercepts claiming El Guano's capture alongside a figure nicknamed 'El Churras Calabazas,' but no official confirmation materialized. The operation also targeted fuel theft (huachicol) networks operating under El Guano's protection in the sierra. Governor Rocha Moya stated he had not received official briefings about the deployment. Ejecentral reported the operation included a simultaneous strike against huachicol infrastructure — El Guano controls fuel-theft revenue in the Badiraguato sierra zone in addition to drug production.