On January 18, 2026, Mexican authorities detained Iván Valerio Sainz Salazar, alias 'El Mantecas', a suspected operator for the Sinaloa Cartel directly linked to Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, known as El Chapito. The arrest took place during a military operation in the mountains of Mocorito, Sinaloa, and was confirmed through documents leaked in the Guacamaya Leaks.
The arrest of 'El Mantecas' delivers a major blow to Iván Archivaldo's faction within the Sinaloa Cartel. An leaked report from the Guacamaya Leaks, under the 'Caso Zarigüeya' file, identifies Iván Valerio Sainz Salazar as a direct link to El Chapito and notes his close ties to officials in Sinaloa's Public Security Secretariat, including Cristóbal Castañeda Camarillo, the former secretary under Governor Quirino Ordaz.
The operation unfolded between 4:00 and 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, January 18, 2026, in the villages of La Noria de Abajo and La Noria de Arriba, in the mountains of Mocorito municipality, bordering Badiraguato in Sinaloa. It involved personnel from the Mexican Army, the Armed Navy, and the National Guard, conducted on land and by air. An armed helicopter fired bursts at the criminal group from above.
The detention record was issued by the National Registry of Detentions that morning. The leaked documents describe intercepted communications in which Sainz Salazar warned of cartel movements and strategies in response to security operations, underscoring his status as a priority target in the area.
This arrest highlights ongoing tensions in Sinaloa, where cartel factions vie for territorial control, and points to infiltration in local institutions as per the leaks.
