Shot At in El Quelite, 14 Homemade Bombs Found: Mexican Forces Arrest 8 Around Mazatlán, Including Alleged Los Mayos Operator ‘El Fantasma’ and Chapitos Member ‘El Prieto’
Mexican forces arrested eight people around Mazatlán, Sinaloa, and seized 19 firearms, more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition, 14 homemade explosive devices and 415 fentanyl pills in seven operations, Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch announced on Sept. 25, according to La Jornada and El Financiero. Officials say those arrested include alleged members of both warring Sinaloa Cartel factions.
Gunfire in El Quelite
La Jornada reported that federal Security Ministry (SSPC) agents came under fire in El Quelite, a town in the Mazatlán municipality, fired back and arrested six people. One of them was Erik Samuel Barraza Sánchez, alias “El Fantasma.” Officers seized two vehicles, six long guns, 12 magazines and six tactical vests. Per the SSPC, agents also found the 14 explosive devices nearby and disabled them on site.
Infobae reported that García Harfuch called “El Fantasma” a Los Mayos operative. La Jornada’s lead agreed, but later in the article called him a Chapitos cell operator — a discrepancy the reports leave unresolved.
The other arrests and seizures
La Jornada reported that José Luis Ibarra Gutiérrez, alias “El Prieto,” was caught in the act. Described as a Los Chapitos cell member, he had a long gun, a magazine and drugs. Near the Vainillo II toll booth, another person was arrested with a rifle, a handgun and 78 rounds.
In Veranos, gunmen fired on Navy personnel; five long guns, 210 rounds and eight magazines were seized. In Siqueros, patrols found five more long guns, 1,840 rounds and 20 magazines. Security Cabinet sources told the paper the detainees lead cells tied to killings and other high-impact crimes.
Why Mazatlán
El Financiero reported the operations are part of a security surge President Claudia Sheinbaum ordered for the resort city. Sinaloa has been torn by Chapitos-versus-Mayos fighting since September 2024, after Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada’s capture in the United States; the paper said more than 3,000 people have been killed. The government says daily homicides fell from 6.9 in June 2025 to 3.3 in July.
Sources
- La Jornada (via La Jornada Baja California), “Detienen a ocho presuntos integrantes del Cártel de Sinaloa, de la Mayiza y Los Chapitos,” Sept. 25, 2026.
- El Financiero, “Detienen a 8 personas en distintos operativos de Mazatlán: Decomisan explosivos y 19 armas,” Sept. 25, 2026.
- Infobae, live security coverage, Sept. 25, 2026.
Reported Sept. 25, 2026, from the Mexican press accounts above, which rely on official statements. The Narco Blog did not independently verify the allegations. None of those arrested has been convicted, and all are presumed innocent. The other six detainees and any charges were not disclosed.