One month after the police operation in the El Dorado syndicate, new journalistic revelations point to the clandestine chop shop where 39 stolen vehicles were seized as being operated by a criminal cell belonging to the Los Mayos faction, led by Ismael “Mayito Flaco” Zambada Sicarios.
On November 14, the Sinaloa Attorney General’s Office (FGE), with support from the Mexican Army, National Guard, and Navy, seized a total of 45 vehicles with theft reports at various locations in Culiacán and El Dorado. The most significant discovery occurred on a vacant lot in the town of Navolatillo (or Novatillo), used for the systematic dismantling of vehicles and the illegal sale of auto parts.
Governor Rubén Rocha Moya confirmed at the time that the 39 units found at the site “all have theft reports, and five are of foreign manufacture, stolen in cities in the United States.” Sources close to the investigation and specialized journalistic analyses now indicate that this lot was part of the network of identified operators in the Los Mayos influence zone, who control vehicle theft as one of their main criminal activities in the region.
Details of the November 14 Operation
The State Public Security Secretariat (SSPE) reported that the operation began in the community of La Cruz de Navito, where a Nissan Altima with altered serial numbers and an active theft report was seized.
In Culiacán’s Mariano Escobedo neighborhood, a Honda CR-V truck with a 2025 theft report was detected.
The main blow came in Navolatillo, where the vacant lot—with no civilians present—housed the 39 units, many in advanced stages of dismantling.
Later, at a junkyard in the town of La Higuera (Quila syndicate, Culiacán), 4 more vehicles with theft reports were located, along with auto parts from four other stolen units.
No arrests were reported at the time, but the sites were secured, and investigation files remain active.
Vehicle Theft: Key Activity for Los Mayos in Sinaloa
Vehicle theft has become one of the primary sources of income and logistics for Los Mayos cells in Sinaloa. Operators in areas like El Dorado use stolen vehicles for illicit activities or dismantle them in clandestine lots like the one in Navolatillo to sell parts on the black market.
The El Dorado syndicate has repeatedly been identified as an operational area for this faction, and the sustained increase in unit thefts aligns with the expansion of their criminal networks.
This case illustrates how vehicle theft is fully identified and linked to Los Mayos operators in the state, according to specialized reports and official crime data.
Authorities continue the investigations with the aim of identifying those responsible and recovering as many units as possible for their rightful owners.
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