Wanted by the U.S., Caught in Ojinaga: Alleged Border Boss ‘El Tavo’ Arrested With 11 Rifles, $19,400 and a Stolen Raptor After Police Helicopter Attack
Chihuahua state police say they have arrested a 32-year-old man described as one of the alleged criminal leaders of the border zone around Ojinaga, the town across the Rio Grande from Presidio, Texas. They also say he is wanted for extradition to the United States. According to Infobae México (September 22, 2026), authorities link Octavio V. L., alias “El Tavo” or “El 13,” to the September 12 attack on a state police helicopter.
The helicopter attack and the arrests
Infobae reports that on September 12, someone attacked a Chihuahua State Public Security Secretariat (SSPE) helicopter while it was flying reconnaissance between Coyame and Ojinaga, and one officer was wounded. SSPE deputy secretary Luis Ángel Aguirre Rodríguez said the three men arrested on September 19 are tied to the cell that authorities blame for the attacks on the aircraft. Police seized two rifles, 17 magazines, 877 cartridges, 31 packages of marijuana and some 100 tire-puncturing spikes during those arrests.
On September 21, police raided Loma de Juárez in Ojinaga and detained Octavio V. L. and Axel A. A., 30. The SSPE, citing intelligence information, also named Octavio V. L. as a suspect in the helicopter attack. Neither man has been convicted. Both were handed over to the authorities who will decide their legal status.
What police say they found
According to the SSPE figures reported by Infobae, the September 21 raid turned up:
- 11 long guns, including AR-15-type rifles, an FN SCAR and an FN P90
- 24 magazines, 2,920 rounds and four bulletproof vests
- $19,400 in cash
- a black Ford Ranger Raptor reported stolen in the United States
Elsewhere in the same operation, authorities say they recovered an armored 2019 Ford Shelby reported stolen in Colorado and a Nissan GT-R reported stolen in the U.S. They also found four drones, .50-caliber ammunition and a homemade explosive that the SSPE says was apparently meant to be dropped from a drone. Military explosives specialists destroyed it.
A contested border corridor
Aguirre said two criminal groups are fighting over the region but did not name them. Citing unofficial information, Infobae reports that both men detained on September 21 are allegedly members of La Línea. La Línea is linked to the Nuevo Cártel de Juárez and has fought a faction of Los Cabrera, which has been tied to the Sinaloa Cartel, for the Aldama–Ojinaga corridor. Infobae also notes that on September 8, authorities arrested Epifanio “N,” alias “El Pepa,” in Ojinaga. Federal authorities identify him as La Línea’s alleged local boss, and he too faced a provisional arrest order for extradition to the U.S.
Sources
Reported September 22, 2026, based solely on Infobae México’s account of statements by Chihuahua’s SSPE. The suspects’ full names, U.S. charges and cartel affiliations have not been independently confirmed. All suspects are presumed innocent unless convicted.