The Attorney General’s Office (FGR) has confirmed the arrest of Rubén Omar Castañón Nicolat—alias “El Cheyo”—a criminal leader for the Sinaloa Cartel (CDS) who operated in the Comondú and Loreto municipalities of Baja California Sur.
He was apprehended by agents of the Federal Ministerial Police at 6:50 a.m. on Friday, October 23, outside a seafood restaurant known as “El Che,” located on 20 de Noviembre Street in the Eduardo Labastida neighborhood of Guasave, Sinaloa. This information was disclosed by the National Registry of Detentions, which is overseen by the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection.
In their report, the agents described the individual—who matches the profile of the criminal leader—as being approximately 1.80 meters (5’11”) tall, with a robust build, light-brown complexion, and short black hair. At the time of his arrest, he was wearing a light-blue long-sleeved shirt, blue jeans, and beige boots.
The FGR announced that this dangerous criminal leader has been transferred from the northern region to the municipality of La Paz, following a request by a federal judge. He is reportedly facing charges related to the possession of firearms restricted for exclusive use by the armed forces, as well as involvement in the trafficking of illegal substances within the state.
“El Cheyo”—also known as “El Cheyo Palapas”—is part of a criminal organization rooted in the municipality of Comondú, referred to as “Los Palapas.” He reportedly shared leadership duties with an individual believed to be a relative, identified in a criminal landscape map compiled by the State Security Board as “Juan Palapas.”
