The US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) captured Roberto “Beto” Bazán-Salinas in Guanajuato. Bazán-Salinas, an associate of the Gulf Cartel, was wanted for his role in smuggling various drug shipments.
The capture of Bazán Salinas was announced by HSI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) this Friday after a joint operation with the Mexican Attorney General’s Office and with support from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Salamanca, Guanajuato, according to an official statement.
Bazán-Salinas had been subject to an international arrest warrant since January 21, when ICE issued an alert with his photograph.
The arrest of Bazán Salinas adds to other recent high-profile operations against drug traffickers wanted by the U.S. in Mexican territory, such as the killing in February of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho,” leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, in a military operation.
The death of “El Mencho” marked a milestone in the fight against organized crime, although it triggered episodes of violence in various regions of the country.
Furthermore, Mexico has intensified bilateral cooperation with Washington through the extradition of alleged cartel members, including 37 criminals sent to the United States between 2025 and 2026 to face federal charges in joint anti-drug trafficking operations.
