Mexican forces arrest Juchitán mayor over alleged ties to Jalisco cartel group

Authorities across Mexico, Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa have announced multiple arrests in separate transnational and local crime cases involving alleged cartel-linked officials, kidnapping plots, wildlife trafficking and murder.

Mexican Mayor Arrested Over Alleged Cartel Ties

Federal and state security forces arrested the mayor of Juchitán, Oaxaca, and another man on charges of aggravated extortion and crimes against state security. [3] The arrests were carried out within the framework of Operativo Enjambre, a federal security strategy aimed at combating collusion between organized crime and municipal government officials. [3] The Security Ministry said the arrests followed an investigation into a criminal network linked to extortion, small-scale drug dealing, human trafficking and homicides, as well as protection schemes that allegedly facilitated the operations of members of criminal groups. [3] Miguel Sánchez Altamirano, a Morena party mayor, and Alberto de la Paz López, known as “La Parca,” were identified as having active arrest warrants. [3] The Oaxaca Attorney General’s Office described Sánchez as linked to a criminal group called Los Cromos, which functions as an operational arm of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. [3] The group allegedly participated in, promoted, and covered up criminal activities in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec due to Sánchez’s close relationship and strategic ties with Los Cromos. [3] Both men were transferred to Mexico City on a Mexican Navy plane and are currently in prison pending initial court appearances. [3] The arrests triggered road blockades and protests in Juchitán, with moto-taxi drivers, residents and municipal police officers joining demonstrations that included setting tires on fire along Federal Highway 185. [3]

Lagos Trader Fined for Fake Drugs Offences

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos convicted and fined a Lagos trader, Elijah Chigbogu, and two companies linked to him over the unlawful possession, importation and distribution of fake and unregistered drugs. [1] Justice Musa Kakaki convicted Chigbogu and the companies, Prolife & Well Pharmaceutical Limited and God of Elijah Nigeria Limited, after they pleaded guilty to a four-count charge filed by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control. [1] The court sentenced Chigbogu to a fine of N1.5m following a plea bargain agreement. [1] The products recovered included Zanza Cyproheptadine, Calpol 200ml Suspension, Zirtek Allergy Relief, Candesartan 4mg Tablets, Nicorette 4mg, Lisinopril 10mg Tablets, Canesten Thrush 20mg, Anusol Ointment and Gaviscon Double Action, along with Prolife Vitamin C, Gliclazide 80mg Tablets, Amitriptyline 25mg Tablets, Allopurinol 300mg Tablets, Levothyroxine 50mg Tablets and Doxazosin 2mg Tablets. [1] The defendants were found in possession of the products on July 28, 2025, at their premises in Idumota, Lagos Island, and Ikotun-Egbe, Lagos. [1] The offences contravene provisions of the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act and the Food, Drugs and Related Products (Registration, etc.) Act. [1]

Nasarawa Police Nab Kidnapping and Cult Suspects

The Nasarawa State Police Command arrested four suspects who allegedly planned to kidnap and subsequently kill their intended victim after collecting ransom. [2] The suspects, Yahaya Musa, Likita Adamu, Riga Abdullahi and Saidu Alhaji Gari, all residents of Adudu District in Obi Local Government Area, were arrested following credible intelligence about a planned abduction of Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, also known as Alhaji Na’iye. [2] Two suspects were arrested on September 19, 2026, the third on September 22, 2026 and the fourth on September 23, 2026. [2] During interrogation the suspects confessed to planning to kill the victim after collecting ransom and were transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Lafia for further investigation. [2] In a separate development, police arrested two suspects, Friday Joshua and ThankGod Auta Vincent, in connection with a cult-related killing in Lafia. [2] On September 24, 2026, at about 0600 hours, officers responded to a distress call and found Venus, a 26-year-old male indigene of Benue State, lying in a pool of blood behind the Eji-World area; he was confirmed dead at the Federal University Teaching Hospital in Lafia. [2] The victim’s friend, Joseph Friday Oluyemi, had reported receiving threats from suspected cult members. [2] The corpse was deposited at the mortuary for autopsy, and efforts continue to apprehend other persons suspected to be involved. [2]

Hawks Arrest Fifth Suspect in South African Rhino Horn Heist

South African Hawks arrested a fifth suspect, Vietnamese national Nguyen Huu Dong, in a staged rhino horn heist case tied to an international wildlife trafficking syndicate. [4] Dong, also known as Daniel and manager at the Voi game lodge, was arrested in Klerksdorp on World Rhino Day and appeared before the Kempton Park Magistrates’ Court on September 23, 2026. [4] He faces charges of attempted robbery, defeating the ends of justice and perjury, with other charges to follow. [4] The case involves a claimed armed robbery on December 8, 2025, at Hartebeesfontein game lodge in which 98 rhino horns, R50,000 in cash and two cellphones were allegedly stolen; investigators have established the incident was staged. [4] Earlier seizures included 20 of the horns and 150kg of tiger carcasses and lion bones intercepted at Singapore’s Changi International Airport on November 8, 2025, and a second shipment of 17 horns and 26kg of predator bones and skulls discovered a week before the reported robbery. [4] Dong is the first cousin of Chu Dang Khoa, alleged mastermind of the syndicate, and has prior arrests linked to Voi Lodge operations. [4]

Two Held in Ghana Over Senegalese Goalkeeper's Murder

Ghana Police arrested two foreign nationals in connection with the kidnapping and murder of Senegalese goalkeeper Cheikh Toure in Kumasi. [5] On October 16, 2025, individuals claiming to be brothers of the deceased took him to Manhyia Hospital with multiple abdominal injuries, stating he had been in an accident; he was pronounced dead on arrival and his body was deposited at Ebenezer Mortuary at Tafo before the individuals fled. [5] The suspects, 32-year-old Nigerien national Salifu Walid and 24-year-old Burkinabe national Aziz Wadrago Mane, were arrested on September 20, 2026, at their hideout at Banpanase near Mamponteng in the Ashanti Region. [5] They are members of a four-member group that allegedly posed as football scout agents and used online platforms to lure victims into Ghana as part of a scheme to defraud them. [5] The two admitted their roles in luring Toure and remain in police custody, while efforts continue to arrest the remaining suspects, Noukoubri Arzouma Sylviain, also known as Prince Pierre, and Barry. [5]

Broader Context of Operations

The Juchitán mayor is among more than 100 municipal officials detained since Operación Enjambre began in late 2024. [3] Investigations and operational actions to completely break up the criminal structure linked to Los Cromos are continuing. [3] In Nasarawa, the Commissioner of Police has directed that investigations be conducted diligently with all persons found culpable brought to justice. [2] In South Africa, Dong’s arrest is regarded as a significant breakthrough possibly exposing the inner workings of the wildlife crime network, and he will join the other four suspects in court on September 28, 2026, for a bail application. [4] In Ghana, investigations are continuing as efforts are made to apprehend the remaining suspects. [5]

What to watch next: Further arrests are expected in the Los Cromos case, additional charges may be filed against the South African rhino horn suspects, and Ghana police are intensifying efforts to locate the two remaining fugitives linked to the goalkeeper murder.