Top Security Enforcer for Los Chapitos Gunned Down in Sinaloa Army Raid

By CrimeWire Staff

NAVOLATO, SINALOA — A high-ranking operative of the Los Chapitos cartel — one of the most violent drug factions in Mexico — was killed in a military operation Friday during an attempted arrest in his home territory of Sinaloa. The man, identified as Jorge Humberto Figueroa Benítez, known in the underworld as “El Perris” or “El 27,” was fatally shot by Mexican forces in the town of Navolato.

Figueroa held a top-tier position as chief of security for the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the infamous founder of the Sinaloa Cartel. Following the 2023 capture of fellow cartel enforcer El Nini, Figueroa had become a central figure within Los Chapitos’ inner circle. U.S. authorities had placed a $1 million reward on his head for his role in trafficking fentanyl and laundering drug proceeds.

Brutality and Fentanyl at the Core

Figueroa’s criminal résumé included extreme acts of violence — among them, the gruesome torture and murder of a woman allegedly linked to fentanyl dealings. His notoriety escalated internationally after the 2019 Culiacán gun battle, in which Sinaloa gunmen took on federal forces to rescue Ovidio Guzmán, one of El Chapo’s sons, who had been briefly detained.

Sinaloa’s Power Struggle

El Perris was a trusted lieutenant in Los Chapitos, the faction of the Sinaloa cartel controlled by El Chapo’s sons. That group is currently engaged in a turf war with rival factions tied to Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada — another original leader of the Sinaloa cartel whose own criminal empire has fractured in recent years. Zambada’s son was quietly captured by U.S. agents in 2024 after being lured across the border in a sting operation.

Dutch Ties and the Bigger Picture

The ripples of this cartel infighting have reached international shores. Dutch trafficker Marco Ebben, gunned down in Mexico earlier this year, was reportedly embedded in the violent rift between the Chapitos and Zambada factions. His death marked another foreign casualty in a drug war that continues to pull in criminal players from around the globe.

The death of Figueroa marks a significant — but likely temporary — disruption in Los Chapitos’ operations. While Mexican and U.S. officials may celebrate the removal of a major player, history suggests the Sinaloa cartel will quickly fill the vacuum, as younger, more ruthless operatives rise through the ranks.