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Federal and local forces in Mexico arrested Julio Yidier "N", also known as "El Tilín", a Cuban citizen identified as the leader of a criminal cell dedicated to the sale and distribution of narcotics, according to a statement from the Security Cabinet in an official statement.
Along with "El Tilín," five other people were arrested, two of whom are also of foreign nationality, bringing the total number of detainees to six, identified as Julio, Pablo, Meng, Carlos, José, and Carlos.
The operation was the result of coordinated intelligence efforts among the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), the Attorney General's Office (FGR), the Secretariat of the Navy, the Secretariat of National Defense, the National Guard, and the Secretariat of Citizen Security of Mexico City.
The authorities located an auto shop in the Benito Juárez borough that the cell was using as a front to manufacture hidden compartments in vehicles—some of which were high-end—intended for transporting drugs.
With the gathered evidence, a Control Judge issued search warrants to intervene in two properties located in the Narvarte Poniente and Américas Unidas neighborhoods, which are middle to upper-class areas of the Mexican capital.
In carrying out the raids, the security forces seized two kilograms of crystal meth, dosages of marijuana and cocaine, cash, vehicles modified with hidden compartments, handguns, magazines, cartridges, telephone equipment, computer equipment, and payment terminals.
The operational method of the cell—using a mechanic shop to install secret compartments in vehicles—is a tactic widely documented in Mexican organized crime, also employed by other groups in previous operations within the capital itself.
The arrest of "El Tilín" is part of a growing pattern of Cuban citizens becoming involved in criminal networks in Mexico. In April of this year, a Cuban was arrested in Cancún under a warrant from the United States for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
In December 2025, another Cuban was detained in Tabasco for alleged drug trafficking offenses, and in July 2024 17 Cubans were arrested in Hidalgo in a drug operation.
One of the most significant cases was that of Cuban-Mexican businessman Juan Carlos Minero Alonso, who was arrested in May 2025 on charges of channeling approximately 15 billion pesos from drug trafficking through his company.
The six detainees from Wednesday's operation were handed over to the corresponding Public Prosecutor's agent to determine their legal status, while the two properties involved were placed under police protection.
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