In coordinated operations between state and federal authorities, the Fiscalía General del Estado de Oaxaca (FGEO) detained eight individuals—one woman and seven men—on June 5, 2025, on charges related to small-scale drug trafficking (narcomenudeo) in various locations throughout Santiago Pinotepa Nacional. Law enforcement officials reported that the arrests occurred during simultaneous raids at identified hotspots, where officers seized quantities of marijuana and synthetic drugs packaged for street-level distribution.
According to the FGEO, those arrested are suspected of supplying narcotics to local street dealers over the past several months. Agents executed search warrants at residential properties and clandestine points known for drug activity, recovering transparent bags containing marijuana, white crystalline substances believed to be methamphetamine, and digital scales commonly used to measure narcotics. Authorities also confiscated several cell phones and cash suspected to be proceeds from drug sales.
During a press briefing, FGEO spokesperson Pablo Hernández stated that investigators had been tracking the ring’s operations for weeks, using surveillance and intelligence gathered from community tip-offs. “The collaboration between municipal police, state prosecutors, and federal forces was critical to dismantling this network,” Hernández explained. He added that investigators continue to analyze financial transactions and telephone records to identify additional collaborators within Pinotepa Nacional.
All eight suspects were formally charged with offenses “against public health in the modality of narcomenudeo,” which carries penalties of up to 20 years in prison under Mexican federal law if convicted. The individuals have been transferred to a secure FGEO facility where they await formal arraignment. In the meantime, the FGEO has urged the public to continue providing anonymous tips through its hotlines to help eradicate the sale and distribution of illicit substances across the region.
