Mexican Authorities Arrest Criminal Cell Allegedly Tied to Los Mexicles, Accused in 24 Homicides in Juárez

Agents from the Chihuahua State Public Security Secretariat (SSPE) participate in a patrol under "Operation Mirror" to secure the border in coordination with the U.S. Border Patrol in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua State, Mexico on August 20, 2025. "Operation Mirror" has been carried out for the past four years at various points along the 3,100-kilometer border to counter human, drug, and arms trafficking, according to officials. (Credit: Photo by Herika Martinez / AFP) (Photo by HERIKA MARTINEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Mexican authorities in the border state of Chihuahua arrested a criminal cell linked to nearly 30 violent crimes in the area, including 24 homicides.

In a joint operation in Juárez, state and local authorities arrested seven suspects who allegedly served as an armed security cell for Gerardo León Hill, also known as "El Tokio." Authorities have identified León Hill as the leader of Los Mexicles, a criminal group that, according to experts, originated as a border gang made up largely of Central American migrants deported from the United States before expanding to recruit young people from low-income neighborhoods in Ciudad Juárez.