Mexico Arrests 16 Alleged Los Ardillos Cartel Members After National Guard Killing
Authorities in multiple countries have reported major crime-related developments including the arrest of 16 alleged members of Mexico’s Los Ardillos cartel following the murder of a National Guard member, the detention of a Syrian general accused of involvement in the 1982 Hama massacre and 2011 protest crackdowns, the trial of three men accused of killing two Australian brothers and an American surfer in Baja California, and a large cannabis seizure in Nigeria.
Mexico Cartel Arrests After National Guard Member’s Killing
Guerrero state authorities, working with the Army, National Guard and state police, arrested 16 people linked to the Los Ardillos cartel in Acapulco-area towns after the discovery of a dismembered off-duty National Guard member who had been forced to record a video alleging corruption. [2] The Guerrero Attorney General’s Office reported the arrest of the 16 people as the result of a coordinated response carried out on Sept. 5 along with the Army, the National Guard and state police. [2] Security Minister Omar García Harfuch praised law enforcement personnel for successful operations in what he called “inaccessible, high-risk places.” [2] On Sunday afternoon, the Defense Ministry confirmed the report about the arrest of the alleged cartel members in the towns of Pablo Galeana, Río Verde and Xaltianguis, all within the municipality of Acapulco. [2] Among those apprehended was a person identified as Los Ardillos’ “financial operator.” [2] Among four mangled bodies discovered was that of National Guardsman Eduardo Bustos, who was off-duty. [2] Prior to being murdered, Bustos was apparently forced to film a video in which he stated that state security agents receive payments of up to 600,000 pesos per month from the “Los Tlacos” crime gang to harass their rivals in Guerrero. [2] The Defense Ministry issued a statement confirming the death of the guardsman, condemning the violence in Guerrero and reaffirming its commitment to collaborate closely with civilian authorities in the investigations to clarify the facts, including the circumstances surrounding the statements made by Bustos in the video. [2]
Dismantling of Methamphetamine Labs in Guerrero
Federal forces deployed in the state of Guerrero located and dismantled three clandestine laboratories used to produce methamphetamine. [2] Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said the three drug labs were situated in remote areas in the mountainous state. [2] He praised the Army for the successful operations in “inaccessible, high-risk places.” [2] Two of the labs were in Zirándaro de los Chávez and one in Coahuayutla de José María Izazaga. [2] Seized were large amounts of 200-liter drums, 500-liter containers, reactors, gas tanks, caustic soda, ammonium chloride, reactors, condensers, distillers and chemical precursors. [2] A trove of drug-producing chemicals and equipment was seized, including more than 260 200-liter drums, 11 500-liter containers, nine reactors, more than 60 gas tanks, 150 sacks of caustic soda, 663 kg of ammonium chloride, approximately 2,400 kg of chemical substances, reactors, condensers, distillers and approximately 1,000 kg of chemical precursors. [2] Besides ingredients and equipment used for drug production, the operation seized 12 firearms, more than 36,700 cartridges, 17 doses of methamphetamine, 10 slot machines, two motorcycles and a vehicle. [2]
Syria Arrests Former General Linked to Massacres
Syrian Internal Security Forces detained former Major-General Mohammed Ali Durgham, accused of ordering troops to shoot unarmed protesters in Damascus in 2011 and serving as a squad commander during the 1982 Hama massacre that killed between 10,000 and 40,000 people. [4] The country’s Internal Security Forces said on Monday that they had arrested former Major-General Mohammed Ali Durgham, who is accused of partaking in the Hama massacre in 1982 and ordering the shooting of unarmed protesters in 2011. [4] The detainment is the latest in a series of arrests as Syria’s government attempts to bring to justice those that ran the former regime. [4] The statement labelled Durgham “a prominent officer in the military establishment during the era of the former regime.” [4] He is accused of being involved in “issuing direct order” to fire on unarmed protestors in the Damascus countryside. [4] Human Rights Watch in 2011 quoted a Syrian army defector who said that Durgham was one of the generals who “ordered the troops to shoot at protesters when his unit was deployed to areas in and just outside of Damascus.” [4] Durgham was a field commander in the army’s feared Fourth Division between 2009 and 2013. [4] Durgham started “as a squad commander in the Defence Brigades during the events in Hama Governorate in 1982,” the authorities said. [4] On February 2, 1982, then-Syrian president Hafez al-Assad launched a brutal crackdown in the central Syrian city of Hama. [4] The death toll ranges from 10,000 to 40,000 people killed over the nearly month-long siege of the city. [4] Durgham’s arrest is part of broader efforts to pursue former officials accused of crimes and abuses under the previous regime. [4] Since Bashar al-Assad’s overthrow in December 2024, Syria’s new authorities have arrested dozens of former security officials. [4]
Trial Opens in Baja California Surfer Killings
Three men went on trial in Ensenada, Mexico, for the April 2024 shooting deaths of Australian surfers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad, whose bodies were found in a clifftop shaft with gunshot wounds to the head. [5] The suspected murderers of two Australian surfers and an American at a Mexican surfing hotspot went on trial on Monday, two years after their killings in a suspected robbery. [5] Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, aged 30 and 33, respectively, and 30-year-old American friend Jack Carter Rhoad were on a surfing trip to Mexico’s Pacific coast when they were shot dead in Baja California state. [5] They had been camping in a remote beachside area when they were attacked in April 2024. [5] Their bodies were found dumped in a clifftop shaft several days after they went missing. [5] They bore gunshot wounds to their heads. [5] Three men are on trial over their killings. [5] The Robinsons’ parents travelled to the port city of Ensenada for the start of the proceedings. [5]
Nigeria Drug Bust Prompts NNPC Statement
Nigeria’s NDLEA intercepted a truck carrying 2,145 kg of cannabis in Ondo State; NNPC Ltd. stated the vehicle was not part of its fleet, its branding had been misused, and the company is cooperating with investigators while commending the drug agency. [3] The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. has commended the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for intercepting a truck reportedly conveying 2,145kg of cannabis in Ondo State. [3] NNPC Ltd., in a statement by its Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Mr Andy Odeh, said the intercepted truck was not owned by the company. [3] Preliminary checks showed that the vehicle, with registration number MKA 960 XC, was neither part of NNPC Ltd.’s official fleet nor that of any of its authorised dealers. [3] The logo displayed on the truck was also inconsistent with NNPC Ltd.’s current official branding and the vehicle was not listed in the company’s asset database. [3] NNPC Ltd. is also engaging with the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners to obtain further information and establish the circumstances surrounding the use of the Company’s old branding on the vehicle. [3] NNPC Ltd. takes any unauthorised use of its corporate identity seriously, particularly where such use may be associated with unlawful activity. [3] The company remained committed to protecting its brand and ensuring that its name, trademarks and other corporate identifiers were not misused. [3] NNPC Ltd. would continue to cooperate with the NDLEA and other relevant security agencies to establish the ownership and operation of the vehicle. [3] The spokesman said the company also supported a thorough investigation into how its markings came to be displayed on the truck. [3] NNPC Ltd. was reviewing its brand-protection and asset-monitoring protocols and would take appropriate measures, including legal action where warranted. [3] Odeh urged members of the public and relevant authorities to verify the ownership or affiliation of vehicles purporting to belong to NNPC Ltd. through official channels. [3] He reiterated the company’s commendation of the NDLEA for its vigilance and sustained efforts to combat illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria. [3]
Bandit Attack in Sokoto State
At least 10 people have been killed and several others injured after suspected bandits attacked Tofa community in Rabah Local Government Area of Sokoto State. [1] The attack reportedly occurred on Sunday night, with the assailants invading the community and shooting residents before abducting dozens of people. [1] Local sources told our correspondent that between 38 and 40 residents were taken away by the attackers, although the exact number of abducted persons was still being verified as of the time of filing this report. [1] The bandits were also said to have rustled a large number of livestock belonging to residents and looted items during the attack. [1] The latest incident raised fresh concerns over the security situation in parts of Rabah LGA, particularly the ability of armed groups to enter communities, carry out prolonged attacks and leave with abducted residents and rustled livestock. [1] Residents are also seeking answers over how the attackers were able to operate in Tofa, kill and abduct residents, as well as cart away livestock and other valuables without being intercepted by security personnel. [1] When contacted, the spokesman for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmed Rufai, confirmed the incident. [1] He, however, assured that the command would make the details of the incident available after compiling its report. [1] The exact number of casualties and abducted residents could not be independently verified at press time. [1]
What to watch next: The Sokoto State Police Command will make further details of the Tofa incident available after compiling its report, while NNPC Ltd. continues to cooperate with the NDLEA and review its brand-protection protocols.
