A brutal homicide at a restaurant in Mexico City over the weekend resulted in the death of very important figure in the criminal structure of Los Chapitos, the Sinaloa Cartel faction led by the sons of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.
Multiple Mexican media outlets reported that on Dec. 21 authorities responded to a shooting at a restaurant in Mexico City that left one man dead and another injured. Days later, the victim has been identified as Óscar Noé Medina González, also known as "El Panu," described as a close friend and right-hand man to Iván Archivaldo Guzmán, the current leader of Los Chapitos.
According to authorities, El Panu was considered Iván Archivaldo's top lieutenant and was responsible for the cartel leader's personal security. He was also a key figure in the faction's drug trafficking operations, including its expansion of fentanyl distribution in Mexico and the United States.
Based on information compiled by U.S. intelligence agencies, Medina González began his career within the cartel as a hitman and rose through the ranks to become a central figure overseeing regional commanders, protecting leaders and drug shipments, and coordinating violent operations and drug trafficking.
Authorities with Mexico City's Secretariat of Citizen Security and the city's prosecutor's office are reviewing surveillance footage and conducting interviews to determine whether the shooting was a targeted attack against Medina González or if he was not the intended target.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that El Panu made several trips from Culiacán to Mexico City in recent months. His most recent visit reportedly took place on Dec. 19 in order to spend Christmas with his girlfriend and family, according to journalist Carlos Jiménez.
On Dec. 21, El Panu went out to dinner with his girlfriend and another man at a restaurant in the Cuauhtémoc borough. At around 9 p.m., a gunman entered the restaurant and opened fire, shooting Medina González multiple times.
According to reports, the attacker fled on foot before escaping on a motorcycle.
EL ASESINO del PANU se OCULTÓ en REFORMA 222
— Carlos Jiménez (@c4jimenez) December 24, 2025
Es el tipo q cazó y mató a tiros al jefe de seguridad de Los Chapitos.
Después del crimen llegó a la Plaza de Reforma, y subió así al baño.
Iba hablando por teléfono.@SSC_CDMX y @FiscaliaCDMX lo buscan.
El caso #C4ENALERTA pic.twitter.com/2Xn2ijSVoX
The killing of Medina González represents another blow to Los Chapitos' security circle, which has seen significant losses over the past few months due to arrests and killings.
In total, four high-ranking members of Iván Archivaldo Guzmán's security team have been arrested or killed this year. On Feb. 19, federal authorities arrested José Ángel Canobbio Inzunza, alias "El Güerito," who is believed to have overseen Los Chapitos' finances and led a criminal cell known as Los Chimales, tasked with protecting El Chapo's sons.
That same day, authorities also arrested Kevin Alonso Gil Acosta, known as "El 200," identified as a suspected operator and head of Iván Archivaldo Guzmán's security team.
Another trusted associate of the Los Chapitos leader who was killed this year was Jorge Humberto Figueroa Benítez, known as "La Perris," who died during a security operation in the state of Sinaloa in May.
According to U.S. government investigations, Figueroa Benítez was responsible for ensuring the security of Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas, alias "El Nini," the former head of security for Los Chapitos.
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