Former Top Law Enforcement Official With Ties to Sinaloa Cartel Known as "El Tigre" Arrested in Mexico

Mexico's top security official, Omar García Harfuch, announced the capture of Miguel Ángel Cuéllar Rangel, a.k.a "El Tigre," a former State Bureau of Investigation Director in Quintana Roo.

Harfuch detailed that authorities arrested "El Tigre" in the city of Pachuca. Cuellar Rangel had with two outstanding warrants that accused him of qualified homicide. The security secretary said that "El Tigre" was a priority target for Mexican authorities in the state of Quintana Roo due to his former position within the state's investigative police and his ties with the Sinaloa Cartel.

Who is "El Tigre?"

Cuéllar Rangel has been identified by authorities as a leader for the Sinaloa Cartel in the Quintana Roo region. "El Tigre" was a former director of the state's investigative police force that reported to the Quintana Roo Prosecutor's Office.

The Sinaloa Cartel clique in the Caribbean region was linked to extortion and homicide cases in the municipality of Benito Juárez, where Cancún and other popular tourist areas are located.

Previous intel reports indicated that "El Tigre" used to move around between Quintana Roo, Nuevo León and Mexico City in order to avoid being captured. Despite his efforts, members of the Army, Navy, National Guard and Mexico's Attorney Genera's Office captured him in the state of Hidalgo.

Crime has slowly transformed Cancún

When announcing President Claudia Sheinbaum's security strategy, García Harfuch singled out the municipality of Benito Juárez as one of the 10 places in dire need of attention due to high levels of criminal activity.

According to the data presented by officials during Sheinbaum's first weeks as president, the municipality of Benito Juárez had a murder rate of 34.6 per every 100,000 inhabitants, largely surpassing the national average of 20.5.

What used to be one of Mexico's top tourist destinations has turned into one of the most dangerous places to live in the entire country. According to a poll conducted by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), 82% of all Cancún residents believe the city is unsafe.

Their response might be influenced by the wave of violence that has tarnished the city's reputation in recent years. According from the National Public Security System (SESNSP), between January and August of 2024 at least 710 homicides were reported in the area.

Sheinbaum's security strategy

As one of her first decrees when sworn in as president, Sheinbaum launched a strategy that singled out 10 municipalities that are key for cartels in their drug enterprise. Titled "Estrategia de Seguridad de los Primeros 100 días," or Security Strategy for the First 100 Days, the strategy aims to neutralize criminal networks as well as capturing generators of violence in those regions.

Benito Juárez was among those ten municipalities in need of "priority attention" due to the presence of both Sinaloa Cartel and Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación cliques operating in the region.