Mexican Authorities Arrest 'El 20,' Alleged Regional Head for Los Chapitos

Mexican federal authorities announced the capture of Adrián “N,” known as “El 20,” in Villa Unión, Mazatlán, Sinaloa. He is identified as a regional chief for a network associated with Los Chapitos, a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. The arrest was carried out by the Mexican Army in coordination with the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, the National Guard, the Navy, and the Attorney General's Office.

The detained individual reportedly operated in several southern Sinaloa municipalities, including El Palmito, El Rosario, Escuinapa, Concordia, Mazatlán, and Villa Unión. During the operation, another person was arrested, though their identity has not been disclosed. Authorities seized two machine guns, four long guns, 30 magazines, 2,158 rounds of ammunition, four ballistic vests, eight ballistic plates, a vehicle, and tactical equipment.

Both detainees and the confiscated materials were handed over to federal prosecutors for legal proceedings. Official information links “El 20” to a deadly ambush on a military convoy in Culiacán on September 30, 2016, which resulted in five soldiers killed and 10 wounded, plus one civilian injured. The convoy was transporting a wounded detainee when it was attacked.

Authorities also attribute his involvement in attacks against military personnel and installations during operations related to Ovidio Guzmán López, alias “El Ratón,” in 2019 and 2023. Ovidio Guzmán, son of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, was arrested in October 2019, leading to widespread violence in Culiacán, and was later recaptured in January 2023 before his extradition to the United States in September 2024. The arrest of “El 20” occurs amidst ongoing federal operations targeting Los Chapitos structures and their internal conflict with the faction linked to Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada in Sinaloa, a dispute that intensified after Zambada's arrest in the U.S. in July 2024.