Mexico seizes 120 kg of fentanyl pills linked to 'Los Rusos' cartel

Mexican authorities have confiscated a significant cache of fentanyl pills, totaling 120 kilograms, during a raid in Mexicali, Baja California. The seizure, which represents over four million doses, is linked to the criminal organization known as 'Los Rusos'.

Omar García Harfuch, Mexico's Secretary of Security, announced the operation on X, highlighting it as a success stemming from information exchange with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and domestic intelligence efforts. The raid involved multiple federal and state security agencies, including the Attorney General's Office, the National Defense Secretariat, the Navy Secretariat, and the National Public Security Secretariat.

The operation took place in the Hacienda del Bosque neighborhood, where authorities also seized a handgun, a magazine, a motorcycle, and a vehicle. No arrests were reported at the time of the announcement. Harfuch emphasized that international cooperation combined with Mexican institutions' investigative capabilities effectively targets criminal organizations and their logistical networks.

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the operation derived from the exchange of information with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and from intelligence and research work developed by Mexican authorities.

'Los Rusos' have been identified by both Mexican and U.S. authorities as a faction aligned with the Sinaloa Cartel, specifically linked to the 'Los Mayos' faction. The DEA identifies Juan José Ponce Félix, also known as 'El Ruso', as the group's leader and states they control the drug trafficking corridor in Mexicali. The U.S. agency has offered a reward for information leading to Ponce Félix's arrest or conviction, accusing the group of transporting fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin from Mexico to the United States.

This is not the first major bust targeting 'Los Rusos'. In March, Mexican authorities arrested 12 alleged members of the group in operations across Baja California, Sonora, and Sinaloa. In July, the Army and National Guard seized 81 firearms and over 274,000 rounds of ammunition in Sonora, believed to belong to a 'Los Rusos' cell. The U.S. Treasury Department previously sanctioned Ponce Félix and 'Los Mayos' in September 2025, describing 'Los Rusos' as their primary armed wing controlling routes in Baja California.

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International cooperation, accompanied by the research and operational capabilities of Mexican institutions, makes it possible to turn intelligence information into actions against criminal organizations and their logistical networks.