Mexican authorities in the border state of Chihuahua arrested a criminal cell linked to nearly 30 violent crimes in the area, including 24 homicides.
In a joint operation in Juárez, state and local authorities arrested seven suspects who allegedly served as an armed security cell for Gerardo León Hill, also known as "El Tokio." Authorities have identified León Hill as the leader of Los Mexicles, a criminal group that, according to experts, originated as a border gang made up largely of Central American migrants deported from the United States before expanding to recruit young people from low-income neighborhoods in Ciudad Juárez.
The arrests came just days after members of Mexico's Attorney General's Office, with support from the Mexican Army and National Guard, arrested León Hill in the Tierra Nueva neighborhood on July 22.
According to unofficial reports, León Hill assumed leadership of Los Mexicles after the 2023 death of Ernesto Piñón de la Cruz, also known as "El Neto," though Mexico's Attorney General's Office has not confirmed that information.
The seven suspects arrested this week are accused of carrying out crimes for Los Mexicles between March and July, including 24 homicides, one femicide and four armed attacks that left several people injured, Border Report said.
According to the outlet, officials began tracking the group after the July 17 killing of a teenage girl in a neighborhood in southeastern Juárez, just across the border from San Elizario, Texas.
After reviewing footage from 15 intelligence monitoring points and 46 surveillance cameras, authorities identified a white Jeep Grand Cherokee allegedly linked to other violent crimes committed between July 18 and July 19. Investigators tracked the vehicle with drones before locating it on July 21.
As Border Report noted, several of the suspects tried to flee across nearby rooftops, but authorities captured all seven. Officials seized two AR-style rifles, a 9 mm pistol, two additional handguns, a knife, 105 rounds of ammunition, tactical gear, four packages of marijuana and the vehicle.
Authorities said the latest arrests brought the total number of suspects detained in the investigation to at least 48 since March. That includes 10 arrests between March and April, 17 in May, six in June and 15 so far in July.
According to security expert David Saucedo, Los Mexicles grew significantly between 2008 and 2010 and, along with groups such as Barrio Azteca and Los Artistas Asesinos, became one of the main drivers of violence in Ciudad Juárez.
During a 2023 interview with Animal Político, Saucedo said much of the group's growth was fueled by ties some of its leaders, including "El Neto," developed with the Sinaloa cartel.
"Los Mexicles were basically a gang of robbers and drug users that, after establishing ties with the Sinaloa cartel and joining its street-level drug distribution network, expanded beyond robbery and began trafficking drugs," Saucedo said.
