Two Mexican Army Soldiers Caught Smuggling Cocaine for Michoacan Cartel

Authorities in Mexico arrested two active Mexican military soldiers who were moonlighting as members of a security company and trying to smuggle a cocaine load on behalf of a cartel from Michoacan.

The case took place this week at a military checkpoint in San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, when the two men were driving a white pickup truck with security company logos, claiming they were transporting valuables in a safe lockbox. During a check of the vehicle, authorities found 165 bricks of cocaine.

Military forces seized the cocaine and turned the two soldiers over to federal authorities for investigation and prosecution. The initial information from the case points to the two men trying to move the drugs to Tijuana, Baja California, where other cartel members were to smuggle it north into California.

According to information provided to Breitbart Texas by Mexican military sources, the two individuals in the truck were a sergeant and a corporal assigned to the 2nd Section of Military Intelligence with the 43rd Military Zone in Uruapan, Michoacan. The sources revealed that the two soldiers had been moonlighting as couriers for the criminal organization led by Juan Jose “El Abuelo” Farias. As Breitbart Texas has reported, Farias leads a cartel that is part of Carteles Unidos but masquerades as the leader of a self-defense movement in Michoacan. Over the years, El Abuelo’s group has been fighting several other smaller organizations and has also been at odds with Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG).

Last Summer, the U.S. Department of Justice offered a $26 million reward for information leading to his capture. Farias is currently wanted in the U.S. on several federal drug trafficking conspiracy charges.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart News Foundation. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com. 

Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.