Who is “El Tury,” a Sinaloa Cartel operator who controls fishing in Ensenada and was linked to Marina del Pilar?

In recent years, the name of Arturo Alejandro Hernández Medina, alias El Tury, has gained notoriety in the public life of this coastal municipality after being identified as an operator of the Sinaloa Cartel (CDS). His figure has been highlighted in complaints from businessmen, fishermen, and restaurateurs who accuse him of controlling the fishing sector’s production chain through extortion, threats, and violence.

According to intelligence reports consulted by ZETA Tijuana, El Tury reports directly to the “Los Aquiles” faction, led by brothers Alfonso and René Arzate García, known as El Aquiles and La Rana, who in turn operate under the structure of the Sinaloa Cartel in Baja California.

Hernández Medina has consolidated his power by imposing a system of minimum fees ranging from 20,000 to 60,000 pesos per month on merchants and business owners in the sector. This pressure scheme is not limited to fixed quotas: he also dictates the purchase and sale prices of seafood products, decides which suppliers to use, and who can participate in the distribution chain.

To maintain this control, El Tury convenes meetings with fishermen and distributors, where he often appears surrounded by armed men. Anonymous testimonies reported by the local press indicate that those who refuse to pay are victims of threats, beatings, attacks with firearms, and even fires at their businesses.

One of the most notorious cases occurred in 2023, when the fish market “La Casita del Camarón” was set on fire after refusing to pay the required fee. Similar situations have occurred in restaurants and distributors, generating a climate of fear in Ensenada and nearby fishing communities.