Who Is ‘El Benny 17’? The Alleged Los Chapitos Operator in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Linked to 28 Arrests at a Party — Milenio Says He Works for ‘El 40,’ a Boss Sanctioned by the U.S.
“El Benny 17” is the alias of an alleged Los Chapitos operator in southern Sinaloa whose name is spreading fast. Two Milenio video reports on him since Oct. 13 have drawn tens of thousands of views. Milenio says he works for “El 40,” the man the U.S. Treasury calls Los Chapitos’ plaza boss in Mazatlán. No authority has confirmed his real name, an arrest or a death, Infobae reported Oct. 14.
What is reported about him
Infobae says he goes by “El Benny,” “El 17” or “Benny 17.” Reports place him under “El 40” and, through him, under Iván Archivaldo and Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, the sons of “El Chapo” who lead Los Chapitos. Infobae cites Vivienne Hearst, a former Borderland Beat contributor, who links his operations to Villa Unión, just south of the city of Mazatlán. Infobae says a 2025 narcocorrido by Panchito Arredondo, titled “El 17,” is widely read as being about him, though it does not name him.
Social media posts have claimed he was captured or killed, and a song made with artificial intelligence said he was dead. Infobae says no authority has confirmed any of it.
The 28 arrested at a party
On Aug. 9, 2026, soldiers, the National Guard, the Navy and federal and state prosecutors detained 28 people in El Roble, a rural community in Mazatlán municipality. The federal security cabinet reported the seizure of 15 rifles, 94 magazines and eight tactical vests. El Financiero reported 2,964 cartridges; Excélsior reported 2,924 rifle rounds plus 40 .50-caliber rounds. El Financiero, citing early reports, said those detained belonged to a cell led by “El Benny 17” and were at a party when they were caught. He was not among them. Excélsior said authorities released no names.
Who is ‘El 40’?
On June 9, 2025, Treasury sanctioned Víctor Manuel Barraza Pablos, saying he leads Los Chapitos’ Mazatlán cell and manages “drug trafficking, murder, kidnapping, extortion, and the production of fentanyl.” Treasury said businessman José Raúl Núñez Ríos financed much of his activity and was “funding Barraza’s war” against Los Chapitos’ rivals in Mazatlán. That war, against Los Mayos, began in September 2024 and has recently centered on Mazatlán, Rosario, Concordia and Escuinapa, Infobae says.
Milenio’s video report on “El Benny 17” and “El 40”:
Travelers can follow the port’s situation in our Mazatlán safety guide.
Sources
- Infobae México, “‘El Benny 17’: el discreto operador de Los Chapitos que mueve los hilos de la violencia en el sur de Sinaloa,” Oct. 14, 2026
- Milenio, “‘El Benny 17’ opera para ‘El 40’ y mantiene violencia en Sinaloa” and “‘Aquí nomás se cumple la orden’: el narcocorrido que revelaría la red de ‘El Benny 17’ en Mazatlán,” video reports, Oct. 13, 2026
- El Financiero, “El festejo que terminó en la cárcel…,” Aug. 9, 2026
- Excélsior, “Detienen a 28 personas con armas largas en Mazatlán,” Aug. 9, 2026
- U.S. Department of the Treasury, “Treasury Sanctions ‘El Chapo’s’ Children and Los Chapitos…,” June 9, 2025
- Photos: Grupo Animal, “Detienen a 28 personas y les aseguran arsenal en Mazatlán, Sinaloa,” Aug. 9, 2026 (federal security handout; Cuartoscuro)
Reported Oct. 14, 2026, from the outlets and release above. “El Benny 17” has not been publicly identified, charged or confirmed arrested by any authority, and his alleged role rests on press reports. Treasury’s descriptions of Barraza Pablos are U.S. government allegations, not court findings; sanctions are not criminal charges. The 28 people detained in August are presumed innocent.