Peñafiel Extortion Payments Allegedly Landed in His Bank Account: 5 Suspected Members of ‘La Birotiza,’ Armed Wing of Michoacán’s Los Reyes Cartel, Arrested
Michoacán authorities say five men arrested on Oct. 9, 2026, in Los Reyes, Michoacán, belong to “La Birotiza,” the armed wing of the Los Reyes cartel. One of them, identified only as Jesús “N,” is suspected of collecting extortion payments from a soft-drink company. Infobae, citing Michoacán’s Public Security Secretariat (SSP), named the company as Peñafiel. Investigators say the payments were deposited into a bank account in his name.
Five searches, six stolen vehicles
According to the SSP statement published by Quadratín Michoacán on Oct. 9, the state Civil Guard and the Defense Secretariat supported the Michoacán Attorney General’s Office (FGE) as it carried out five search warrants in Los Reyes. The statement says Jesús “N” is under investigation over extortion of “a company in Zamora” in the soft-drink business, and over a possible link to a criminal cell in Los Reyes. That statement, as published, does not name the company.
Authorities said they seized two long guns, magazines, cartridges, packets of a substance resembling methamphetamine, six slot machines, a gram scale and tactical clothing. They also seized seven vehicles, trucks and motorcycles among them, six of which had been reported stolen. Infobae reported that marijuana, documents and a laptop were also seized. It also gave the other four detainees as Ángel de Jesús “N,” 41; Javier “N,” 34; Fernando “N,” 37; and José Alberto “N,” 45. All five were handed to prosecutors, who will decide their legal status. No charges had been announced as of this report.
A cartel whose bosses the U.S. charged
Infobae reported that the SSP describes La Birotiza as the armed wing of Luis Enrique Barragán Chávez, “El Güicho” or “R-5.” He was considered the No. 2 of the Los Reyes cartel and was killed by federal forces on Aug. 30 in Tocumbo. The group’s alleged leader, Alfonso Fernández Magallón, “Poncho” or “La Quiringua,” was arrested on Aug. 1. Both men were among five leaders of Cárteles Unidos charged by the U.S. Justice Department in August 2025. The State Department had offered rewards of $5 million for Fernández Magallón and $3 million for Barragán Chávez.
According to Infobae, the Los Reyes group began in 2013 as a self-defense force against the Knights Templar. Infobae says it now belongs to Cárteles Unidos and fights the CJNG for territory. The five men arrested on Oct. 9 are suspects, not convicted, and are presumed innocent.
Sources
- Infobae, “Caen cinco presuntos integrantes de ‘La Birotiza’, brazo armado del Cártel de Los Reyes,” Oct. 10, 2026.
- Quadratín Michoacán, “Caen 5 en Los Reyes; 1 acusado de extorsionar refresquera,” Oct. 9, 2026 (Michoacán SSP statement).
- Changoonga, “Caen 5 tras cateos en Los Reyes; uno es investigado por extorsionar a una refresquera en Zamora,” Oct. 9, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Justice, “Justice Department Charges Five Senior Leaders of the United Cartels,” Aug. 14, 2025.
- Photos: Michoacán SSP handout via Quadratín Michoacán; Michoacán state authorities’ handout via Changoonga.
Reported Oct. 10, 2026, from the Mexican news reports and official statement cited above. The Narco Blog has not independently confirmed the extortion allegations, and Peñafiel had not publicly commented in the sources reviewed.