Drum-Fed Rifle, AK-47 and 500+ Rounds: Baja California Police Arrest 22-Year-Old ‘El Peso Pluma,’ Alleged Chapitos Gunman Accused of Shaking Down Ensenada Farmers
Baja California state police stopped a white 1999 Ford Expedition with California plates in the Valle de la Trinidad, in rural Ensenada, on the afternoon of Tuesday, Sept. 22, and arrested three young men inside along with two rifles, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and tactical vests, Publimetro reported on Sept. 23, 2026. One of them, 22-year-old Francisco Ángel “N,” goes by the alias “El Peso Pluma” or “El Velo.” State intelligence presented at Baja California’s security roundtable describes him as an alleged armed operator for Los Chapitos, the Sinaloa Cartel faction.
The arrest
According to Publimetro, officers from the state’s Fuerza Estatal de Seguridad Ciudadana (FESC) intercepted the SUV in the Lázaro Cárdenas neighborhood of the Valle de la Trinidad delegation. Riding with Francisco Ángel “N” were Alfredo Alexe “N,” 22, and Héctor Daniel “N,” 24. All three are from Ensenada. The stop ended without a chase or gunfight.
Inside the vehicle, officers reported finding a rifle with a drum magazine and 114 rounds, an AK-47-type rifle loaded with 47 rounds, 12 magazines holding 288 .223-caliber rounds, two magazines of 30 7.62x39mm rounds each, a radio and two ballistic tactical vests bearing U.S. flag patches. That itemized count adds up to 509 rounds.
What authorities allege
Baja California’s Secretaría de Seguridad Ciudadana said the three are considered alleged members of a “violence-generating group,” and that preliminary reports tie them to extortion, collecting “cobro de piso” protection payments and patrolling in apparently cloned vehicles, Publimetro reported.
Investigative information cited at the state security roundtable alleges that Francisco Ángel “N” is a Chapitos-linked hitman who leads a cell called “La Pizza.” Investigators link him to extortion in the ejidos, or communal farm settlements, of the Valle de la Trinidad, including allegedly setting up clandestine checkpoints to demand money from farmers, ranchers and other residents.
These are allegations, not findings; no court has ruled on them.
What happens next
Citing the men’s alleged profile, authorities moved them under a special security protocol with support from Mexico’s Defense Secretariat. The three, the weapons and the SUV were handed over to the federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR), which will decide what charges, if any, to bring.
The suspect only shares a nickname with corridos singer Peso Pluma (Hassan Emilio Kabande Laija), who has no connection to the case, Publimetro stressed.
Sources
Reported September 24, 2026, from Publimetro’s account of statements by Baja California security officials. The FGR had not announced charges, and the alleged Chapitos and “La Pizza” links come from state intelligence, not court findings. The round total is The Narco Blog’s sum of the figures Publimetro reported.