Francisco Manuel Romero Carranza, alias “El Meny” or “El Meny Carranza,” died during an armed confrontation near the town of San Antonio, in the state of Sonora, according to official information released on the night of October 24 by the Security Cabinet via its official channels.
The operation, which resulted in the death of the individual—identified as a high-priority target—was carried out by personnel from the Secretariat of the Navy (Semar), the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), and officers attached to the Sonora State Attorney General’s Office (FGJES).
Romero Carranza had recently been identified as the second-in-command of the group known as “Los Fantasmas” (“The Ghosts”). He had escaped from the Hermosillo Cereso 2 (prison) on July 11, and a reward of one million pesos had been offered for his capture. However, previous reports from Infobae México indicated that “El Meny Carranza” may have switched sides, joining a rival cell of “Los Fantasmas.”
The operation, conducted on October 23, was based on prior naval intelligence work and also resulted in the arrest of four individuals identified as perpetrators of violence.
Authorities seized five long guns, two handguns, 45 magazines of various calibers, four vehicles, three ballistic vests, and a bag containing marijuana.
