Mexican state police arrested two Sinaloa cartel operatives in separate law enforcement operations near Mexico’s border with Arizona and California earlier last week. The arrests resulted in the seizure of one handgun and a quantity of methamphetamine according to local media reports.

Mexican police captured an individual identified as Maximiliano Aispuro Álvarez, originally from Culiacán, Sinaloa, known as “El Max” on Thursday, according to a statement released by the office of the State Public Security Director for Baja California. The arrest came during an operation by elements of the State Preventive Police in the rural area of Pachuca which is located directly across the border from Somerton, Arizona. Aispuro Álvarez was traveling along a canal when the state police spotted him and attempted to make contact.

Aispuro Álvarez ran from the police and a foot pursuit ensued. Officers subsequently captured the suspect. Police personnel then searched Aispuro Álvarez and discovered one-half kilo (505 grams) of methamphetamine hidden on his person.

On December 4, 2018, the State Preventive Police arrested Aispuro Álvarez previously along with another individual in possession of a rifle and two handguns. Authorities identified Aispuro Álvarez and the other individual as Sinaloa Cartel hitmen, according to information released by state police officials as reported by local media. Officials reported that Aispuro Álvarez is a member of the armed wing of the Sinaloa Cartel faction led by Felipe Eduardo Barajas Lozano, “El Omega.” He is allegedly the leader of the Sinaloa cartel in Mexicali.

This faction of the Sinaloa Cartel is equipped with tactical gear and clothing that includes ballistic vests and rifles. They patrol the rural areas outside of Mexicali in a white pickup with emergency strobe lights inside of Mexico along the California and Arizona border while posing as members of the State Investigative Police. Information as to the status of Aispuro Álvarez’s previous arrests in December is currently unknown.

The capture of the second Sinaloa cartel operative occurred on Friday when uniformed state police patrolling in the eastern section of Mexicali in the Villa Bonita neighborhood spotted a Honda Civic traveling at a high rate of speed. Officers engaged involved in a pursuit after the driver refused to stop. The driver was eventually stopped and police identified him as Édgar Genaro Olivas Beltrán, originally from Culiacán, Sinaloa. Police took the man known as “El Pollo” into custody.

A search of the vehicle revealed a ¼ kilo (250 gms) of methamphetamine inside the vehicle as well as a loaded 9 mm handgun. Olivas Beltrán is also a member of the Sinaloa Cartel faction led by Felipe Eduardo Barajas Lozano, “El Omega.” His role is that of a distributor of drugs in the Mexicali area according to police officials.

Police turned Aispuro Álvarez and Olivas Beltrán over to the authority of the Federal Prosecutors Office.

In September of 2018, Breitbart Texas reported on the discovery by the Mexican State Preventive Police (PEP) of an active fentanyl lab and seizure of 20,000 fentanyl pills operated for the Sinaloa cartel in Mexicali, Baja California.

Robert Arce is a retired Phoenix Police detective with extensive experience working Mexican organized crime and street gangs. Arce has worked in the Balkans, Iraq, Haiti, and recently completed a three-year assignment in Monterrey, Mexico, working out of the Consulate for the United States Department of State, International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Program, where he was the Regional Program Manager for Northeast Mexico (Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Durango, San Luis Potosi, Zacatecas.)