OPERATION ENJAMBRE LEADS TO MULTIPLE ARRESTS IN PUEBLA AGAINST LOS ZUNIGA

ESPERANZA, MUNICIPALITY OF ESPERANZA, STATE OF PUEBLA, MEXICO — In a coordinated security effort known as Operation Enjambre, federal and state authorities executed 23 simultaneous raids targeting the criminal network identified as “Los Zúñiga”. The operation took place in the municipality of Esperanza, located in the central region of Puebla, as part of ongoing regional strategies to combat high-impact crimes such as cargo truck theft along the strategic Puebla–Veracruz highway corridor and local extortion.

The security sweep was conducted by the Guardia Nacional, the Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana (SSPC), and the Fiscalía General de la República (FGR), with vital support from intelligence units and state security forces. Officials noted that the targeted group has long affected commercial transit and local stability in this mountainous area.

According to the official institutional reports, the primary outcomes of the operation include:

• Detention of the municipal president of Esperanza.
• Detention of the former municipal director of Public Security.
• A total of 9 individuals placed at the disposal of competent judicial authorities.
• Seizure of firearms, high-capacity magazines, tactical gear, armored vehicles, a drone, and a signal jammer.

Following the intervention, local authorities reported that 16 out of the 19 municipal police officers abandoned their duties or deserted. In response to the temporary void in local law enforcement, the security of the municipality was immediately assumed by state forces from the Secretaría de Seguridad Pública to guarantee public order and protect residents.

Local community representatives and security experts pointed out the urgent need to rebuild institutional trust in municipal bodies. Observers remarked that restoring civic confidence requires transparent judicial processes and continuous oversight in regions vulnerable to organized crime infiltration.