HomeNewsAnalysisThe Slow Death of Mexico's Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel
ANALYSIS

The Slow Death of Mexico's Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel

JALISCO CARTEL / 1 MAY 2020 BY ANA TORRES EN

Mexico's Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel has found itself on the ropes, fending off authorities and attacks by the rival Jalisco Cartel and the government.

In recent months, police operations have hit the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel (CSRL) and its leader, José Antonio Yépez Ortiz, alias "El Marro," hard. Five members were captured in an April 12 raid, in which authorities also seized high-powered weapons.

A joint marine and police raid in March led to the arrest of the crime boss's father in the state of Guanajuato, La Opinión reported. Seven cartel operatives were also captured in the operation, Página Central reported, citing statements by Sophia Huett López, the commissioner of the state's citizen security strategy unit. 

In response, cartel gunmen blocked roads with burning vehicles in Celaya, a central city in Guanajuato, Milenio reported. Seven other municipalities in Guanajuato, the cartel's stronghold, also saw their roads blocked in March. 

The latest blows to the CSRL follow the alleged arrest of 35 members in a massive sweep by authorities in January. The group, known for dominating the oil theft racket, has been a target of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who promised to stanch the siphoning of fuel from the country's pipelines.

SEE ALSO: Profile of José Antonio Yépez Ortiz, alias ‘El Marro'

At the same time, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación - CJNG) has ramped up its longstanding war against the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel in an effort to corner El Marro.

In January, CJNG members burst into the church where El Marro's sister, Karem Elizabeth Yépez Ortiz, was celebrating her wedding. The gunmen opened fire, killing the bride. El Marro managed to escape the gunfire.  

The conflict between the CJNG and CSRL has turned Guanajuato into the most murderous state in Mexico. In 2019, the state recorded nearly 4,500 homicidesaccording to information from the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System. 

In March 2019, President López Obrador announced an operation called Golpe de Timón, meaning a "Change of Course," aimed at dismantling the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel. 

InSight Crime Analysis

Even with its bank accounts frozen and under constant attacks from authorities and its rivals, the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel has so far managed to stave off its demise.  

Víctor Sánchez, a security consultant and expert from the University of Coahuila, told InSight Crime that the group's resiliency stems from three factors: its leader, its diverse income sources and its roots in the communities where it operates.

According to Sánchez, the CSRL has managed to hold onto its territories in Guanajuato despite confrontations with the CJNG and state forces because El Marro has managed to stay atop the group and lead it.

Additionally, the CSRL retains a core group of members dedicated to extortion who collect a considerable amount of income. The influx of cash keeps them tied to the organization despite its recent economic difficulties.

Likewise, an advantage that the group has over the CJNG is that its cells dedicated to oil theft, are deeply rooted in the communities where they operate, Sánchez added. 

SEE ALSO: Mexico’s Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel Risks Burning Too Bright, Too Fast

Jaime López-Aranda, a former Mexican high-ranking police officer now working as a security consultant, told InSight Crime that though the group may rely on protection from local authorities, its influence does not reach state or federal levels which will limit its ability to survive in the long run.

Another issue limiting the group’s expansion is the fragility of its alliances with groups like Los Viagras or the Sinaloa Cartel to confront the CJNG. 

Víctor Sánchez said that while these organizations have allegedly loaned supplies and personnel to support the CSRL in its efforts, they have not coordinated actions that would allow the group to gain power. 

For these reasons, both experts consulted by InSight Crime agreed that the CSRL is unlikely to survive much longer. 

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

CHAPITOS / 17 APR 2023

US prosecutors have provided an unprecedented look at how the Chapitos operate in Mexico and how they dominate the fentanyl…

FENTANYL / 22 FEB 2023

The misuse of the term "cartel" by US lawmakers at a recent hearing on fentanyl prompts us to ask: should…

FENTANYL / 21 JAN 2022

Chinese companies are turning to online sales to supply the fentanyl precursor market in Mexico. As a result, more criminal…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Contributes Expertise Across the Board 

22 SEP 2023

This week InSight Crime investigators Sara García and María Fernanda Ramírez led a discussion of the challenges posed by Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s “Total Peace” plan within urban contexts. The…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Cited in New Colombia Drug Policy Plan

15 SEP 2023

InSight Crime’s work on emerging coca cultivation in Honduras, Guatemala, and Venezuela was cited in the Colombian government’s…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Discusses Honduran Women's Prison Investigation

8 SEP 2023

Investigators Victoria Dittmar and María Fernanda Ramírez discussed InSight Crime’s recent investigation of a massacre in Honduras’ only women’s prison in a Twitter Spaces event on…

THE ORGANIZATION

Human Trafficking Investigation Published in Leading Mexican Newspaper

1 SEP 2023

Leading Mexican media outlet El Universal featured our most recent investigation, “The Geography of Human Trafficking on the US-Mexico Border,” on the front page of its August 30…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime's Coverage of Ecuador Leads International Debate

25 AUG 2023

This week, Jeremy McDermott, co-director of InSight Crime, was interviewed by La Sexta, a Spanish television channel, about the situation of extreme violence and insecurity in Ecuador…