Los Mazatlecos
| Founded by | Alfredo Beltran Leyva (Incarcerated) |
|---|---|
| Founding location | Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Territory | Sinaloa, Sonora, Durango, Nayarit |
| Ethnicity | Mexican |
| Leader | Fausto Isidro Meza Flores |
| Activities | Drug trafficking, murder, kidnapping, extortion |
| Allies | Cártel del Noreste La Mayiza (Sinaloa Cartel splinter) Juarez Cartel |
| Rivals | Los Chapitos Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación Los Ántrax Gulf Cartel |
Los Mazatlecos ('The Mazatlan people'), also known as the Guasave Cartel, is a Mexican criminal organization that was formerly the enforcer gang of the Beltrán Leyva Cartel. It has been operating as an independent entity led by Fausto Isidro Meza Flores since 2017, based in Guasave, Sinaloa.[1][2]
Activities
[edit]The Los Mazatlecos gang was formed in the coastal city of Mazatlán, Sinaloa, from where they take their name. Initially, the gang was at the service of the drug lord Alfredo Beltrán Leyva ("El Mochomo") until he was arrested by the Mexican authorities in 2008. After his arrest, Los Mazatlecos shifted their alliance to Alfredo's brother Héctor Beltrán Leyva, the now deceased leader of the Beltrán Leyva Cartel.[3] As the Beltrán Leyva Cartel declined, Los Mazatlecos began to increasingly operate in their own right under Isidro Meza Flores,[4] where they were engaged in a turf war against the Sinaloa Cartel.[5] They were responsible for numerous deaths and kidnappings in the Sinaloa and Durango area during this period.[6]
The organization is involved in drug trafficking, particular methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking. In December 2024, Mexican security forces seized over one ton of fentanyl pills in Ahome, Sinaloa, one of the largest seizures of this kind to date.[5] In 2025, Isidro Meza-Flores was placed on the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, currently the only criminal from Mexico on the list.[5] During the infighting in the Sinaloa Cartel starting in 2025, Los Mazatlecos began to ally itself with the La Mayiza faction led by Ismael Zambada Sicairos (El Mayito Flaco), becoming one of their main allies in the region.[7] This has also led to the cartel making advances into Sonora, territory they have previously not held.[7] However, Mexican authorities have continued operations against the Guasave Cartel, including the arrest of the regional "plaza" boss Iván Raymundo Olivas in June 2026.[8]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Cómo surgió el Cártel de Guasave, organización que lidera 'El Chapo Isidro'". Milenio. 2025-05-07. Retrieved 2025-05-08.
- ↑ "Qué es el Cártel de Guasave, el grupo criminal que podría ser clave en la batalla de La Mayiza contra Chapitos". Infobae. 2025-05-07. Retrieved 2025-05-08.
- ↑ "The Gang That Took on Chapo: Los Mazatlecos". Borderland Beat. 28 July 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
- ↑ Ale Huitron (2026-04-06). "Los Mazatlecos, la célula que forjó la actividad criminal de "El Chapo Isidro"". infobae.com.
- 1 2 3 Anayeli Tapia (2025-02-05). "¿Quiénes son Los Mazatlecos, el grupo criminal que lidera "El Chapo Isidro", heredero de Los Beltrán Leyva?". Infobae.
- ↑ Vega Gutiérrez, Aurora (7 April 2012). "El narco provoca éxodo en Sinaloa; 665 familias abandonan la entidad". Excélsior (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 December 2012.
- 1 2 "Quién es 'El Chapo Isidro', el líder del Cártel de Guasave que se perfila a ganar la guerra en Sinaloa, según Anabel Hernández". infobae.com. 2025-11-04.
- ↑ Andrés Rodriguéz (2026-06-15). "Detenido en Sinaloa El 24, el jefe regional de la facción del Chapo Isidro". El País.
