Puebla, Mexico - In a significant victory against organized crime, Mexican authorities captured Ángel Javier “N,” alias “El Caiser,” a priority cartel target wanted for a string of homicides in Tabasco. The arrest took place in the early hours of July 30, 2025 in the city of Puebla, where the fugitive had recently fled. El Caiser, also nicknamed “El Angelito,” is accused of being an operative of the “La Barredora” criminal gang and is allegedly responsible for at least 10 murders in Tabasco state. He was listed among Tabasco’s most-wanted criminals.
Joint Operation: Acting on intelligence from Tabasco and Chiapas, Puebla state police and federal agents launched a predawn raid in San Felipe Hueyotlipan, a district in Puebla City, where Ángel “N” was believed to be hiding. Around 3:00 a.m., tactical units closed in on the suspect’s vehicle at the intersection of Municipio Libre and Carlos Camacho Espíritu boulevards. El Caiser attempted to escape but was quickly surrounded and arrested without shots fired. Within hours, he was handed over to an escort team from Tabasco’s Attorney General’s office and flown by helicopter back to Tabasco to face outstanding arrest warrants. Photos released by authorities show the 28-year-old suspect in custody at Puebla’s Hermanos Serdán airport, under heavy guard, moments before his transfer.
Tabasco’s Governor and Attorney General applauded the arrest, calling it a “hard blow to La Barredora” – a violent criminal organization that has plagued Tabasco with drug trafficking, fuel theft and contract killings. La Barredora (Spanish for “The Sweeper”) was originally a splinter from a Guerrero cartel and entrenched itself in Tabasco over recent years. Officials allege that during the late 2010s, the gang expanded under the protection of local corrupt authorities. El Caiser is believed to have been part of a cell that carried out assassinations and extortion in Tabasco, contributing to a surge of violence. His arrest follows the capture of another Barredora leader, “El Apá,” earlier this year in Puebla, indicating an ongoing crackdown.
Background: The pursuit of El Caiser intensified after evidence linked him to multiple murders, including high-profile hits in Tabasco’s oil town of Cárdenas last year. He reportedly fled Tabasco amid a security sweep and was tracked moving between states. Just days ago, investigators in Chiapas tipped off Puebla authorities about El Caiser’s presence in their territory. This led to a coordinated inter-state operation with federal support. Notably, the suspect’s alias “El Caiser” is a Spanish phonetic for Kaiser (emperor) – perhaps self-styled, reflecting his brazen attitude. Following the arrest, Puebla’s police posted on social media that it had fulfilled an outstanding warrant against “an objective prioritario (priority target) for Tabasco”, underscoring law enforcement collaboration across state lines.
Implications: The capture of El Caiser is being hailed as a “major success” in Mexico’s fight against regional criminal gangs. Tabasco’s Prosecutor Víctor Pérez stated this will “significantly disrupt La Barredora’s operations” and may yield valuable intelligence on the gang’s remaining network. Indeed, officials are hopeful that in custody, El Caiser might provide leads on other fugitives, including ex-Tabasco Security Chief Hernán Bermúdez Requena, who is currently wanted for allegedly colluding with La Barredora. (Bermúdez’s case has stirred political scandal, as he served under a previous Tabasco governor and is accused of sheltering gang members.)
For residents of Tabasco, who have endured a wave of violence attributed to this gang, the arrest brings a sense of relief. Family members of victims of “El Caiser” celebrated the news, although they urged authorities to ensure he faces justice swiftly and cannot evade punishment. On Thursday, July 31, Ángel “El Caiser” was formally presented before a Tabasco judge; prosecutors charged him with multiple counts of homicide, organized crime, and weapons offenses. He was ordered held without bail at a maximum-security federal prison while awaiting trial.
This case also highlights the Mexican government’s broader strategy of inter-agency cooperation to tackle mobile criminal figures. President Sheinbaum’s administration has encouraged state governments to form regional task forces, and the success in nabbing El Caiser in Puebla (far from his crime base) shows the effectiveness of that approach. The public messaging is clear: no matter where criminals flee, they will be pursued. While La Barredora is not as large as the national cartels, its tentacles across states posed a unique challenge that this week’s operation met head-on.
With El Caiser off the streets, authorities in Tabasco vow to continue the offensive until all remnants of La Barredora are dismantled. They point to this arrest as a sign that cooperation and persistence can bring even the most elusive suspects to justice, delivering a measure of peace to communities scarred by violence.
