How the Sedena sniffed out the biggest poppy planting of the year in the Sinaloa Cartel Estates

In the fourth week of February, elements of the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena) proceeded to the discovery of the largest poppy plantation which has been found throughout this year 2023.

It was a field located in the state of Sinaloa where they grew up about a million plants of said flower, with which hundreds of kilograms of opium gum could be produced, which – through a refining process – can be converted into heroin.

According to the institution headed by Luis Cresencio Sandoval, the plantation detected covered an area of 6.5 hectares (equivalent to over 60,000 square meters), one of the largest even compared to those found in 2022. Last year, one of the poppy and marijuana crops with the largest land area covered 44 000 square meters, located in the municipality of Aldama, in Chihuahua.

On this occasion, the plantation of more than 6 hectares was detected by Sedena on February 21 with the support of the National Guard. Protecting the perimeter, they carried out a thorough examination of the area, where they accounted for approximately 845,000 poppy plants. According to the authorities, with this quantity, approximately 104 kilograms of opium gum could be produced.

Due to its size, this plantation is the largest provided by this institution of which there is a file during this year”, detailed the Sedena through a press release.

These actions were carried out within the framework of the intensive eradication program 2023, which provides for the manual and spray removal areas with the highest incidence of narcotics cultivation which are prohibited by the General Health Law.

Thanks to intelligence work, we learned that in the towns of Zapotillo and Tierritas Blancas – located in the municipality of Boycrime cells operated by Sinaloa that were dedicated to the seeding and cultivation of narcotics, which were then processed to produce a variety of drugs.

This is how elements of the Mexican army and the GN were deployed in the said localities to carry out ground reconnaissance and detect one of these plantations, which merge with the corn milpas located in the area. When detecting the presence of subjects on board a motorcycle – according to reports from Millennium-, an operational planning was carried out which finally led to the assurance of more than 800,000 poppy plants.

“Arriving in the areas previously indicated and confirming the information they had, they located a poppy plantation with an area of ​​6.5 hectares,” said Sedena. Once the perimeter was secured and the plants taken into account, the Sedena carried out its destruction by the method of work and cremation. During these actions, no one was arrested.

The municipality of Boy borders with culiacan there We knowconsidered one of the main strongholds of the Sinaloa Cartel. This last town was the birthplace of various drug traffickers, including Joaquín Chapo Guzman and Rafael Caro Quintero. Due to its “relevance” within organized crime, Mayor José Paz López proposed establishing “El Museo del Narco” in early November, with the supposed aim of attracting tourism.

Meanwhile, in Culiacan, the arrest of Ovid Guzman, who along with his brothers led the faction of Los Chapitos. According to intelligence reports, The mouse he had been located in the rural area of ​​this municipality for six months before his capture, recorded at the beginning of January of this year. Therefore, it is presumed that the assured culture could belong to the cell led by the children of Chapoalthough no reports confirm this.

Throughout 2022, the authorities proceeded 143 cremation events thousands of kilograms of different narcotics, mainly marijuana (99 tons), cocaine (eight tons) and methamphetamine (24 tons). These substances were destroyed after being seized or seized during the Sedena operations.