Mexican authorities arrested Salvador Díaz Rodríguez, a key financial operator for the Sinaloa Cartel's Los Chapitos faction.
Mexican security officials arrested Salvador Díaz Rodríguez, a presumed financial operator for the Los Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, in Mexicali, Baja California. The capture was the result of intelligence work by the National Intelligence Center in cooperation with United States authorities. Secretary of Security and Protection of the Citizen, Omar García Harfuch, announced the arrest and noted that the detained man, also known as "El Chava," served as a hitman and money launderer. While Harfuch linked him to Los Chapitos, some sources indicate he may have operated for the "Los Rusos" cell. The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Díaz Rodríguez on a sanctions list for his role in laundering money and facilitating the production of fentanyl and other narcotics. During the arrest, authorities seized a vehicle and 38 grams of methamphetamine. Díaz Rodríguez faces federal accusations for conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. The arrest follows a broader crackdown on the Sinaloa Cartel, which the administration of Donald Trump designated as a terrorist organization.