Former Top Police Officer Suspected of Having Links to Sinaloa Cartel Found Dead in Culiacán

SEATTLE - The long count of fatalities recorded in Sinaloa in recent months added another name to its list when reports surfaced of a former Sinaloa ministerial police member and alleged financial operator of the Sinaloa Cartel was found dead.

Dimas Díaz Ramos, also known as "El Delta" or "El Dimas" was found dead on November 7 near a cemetery located in El Carrizalejo, a town situated less than a two-hour drive from Culiacán, Sinaloa's capital city. His body was found by members of the Mexican armed forces while they patrolled the area. His body was found wrapped in a cloth and had signs of torture.

First reported by the media outlet Los Noticieristas, the attack could be attributed to "Los Chapitos," as Díaz Ramos had alleged links to the cartel faction that remains loyal to Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, serving as a financial operator.

Gerardo Mérida Sánchez, Sinaloa's secretary of public security, confirmed that the body found by Mexican armed forces was indeed "El Delta," and added that authorities will open an investigation due to the high profile of the victim.

Who was Dimas Díaz Ramos?

Díaz Ramos was a member of the Sinaloa Ministerial Police, an agency tasked with fighting corruption and organized crime. He worked in the agency from 1995 to 2001, when an investigation on Díaz Ramos found signs of misconduct and abuse of authority when he was stationed in the city of Guasave.

"El Delta" garnered national attention in 2009 when he was arrested by Mexican officials after he allegedly plotted to assassinate then-Mexican President Felipe Calderón. The threat was likely in response to a 2007 cocaine bust in which 26 tons of drugs coming from Colombia were seized in the port of Manzanillo.

Besides controlling drug smuggling routes, Díaz Ramos served as a key link between the Sinaloa Cartel and the leaders of the criminal organization known as La Familia Michoacana, known for its kidnapping and extortion activities in parts of Guerrero and Michoacán.

He was arrested along with three other cartel members and sent to the maximum security federal prison known as "El Altiplano." But despite the magnitude of the charges he was accused of, authorities have not confirmed when he was released from federal prison.

After his release, it is reported that "El Delta" lived in the town of El Diez, a suburb of Culiacán. According to reports from the Ministry of Public Security and Ministry of Public Safety, Díaz Ramos operated drug smuggling routes along the U.S.-Mexico border, especially in Baja California and Sonora.