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Mexico State Detains Alleged La Chokiza Operator in Phase Two of Water-Theft Crackdown

The arrest advances Operación Caudal, a multiagency drive to dismantle union-linked networks that extract and sell untreated water across 48 municipalities.

Overview

  • Prosecutors said Ricardo “N,” identified as a La Chokiza member and owner of illegal tankers in Ecatepec, was arrested and transferred to a penitentiary as his legal status is determined.
  • Authorities described him as a priority target in the second phase of Operación Caudal, which focuses on operators tied to clandestine taps and illicit distribution.
  • Operación Caudal has intervened at 189 properties, found 51 wells and 138 illegal taps, and seized 322 tankers and 37 other vehicles, with initial arrests already recorded.
  • Officials allege the networks sell nonpotabilized water at inflated prices and coerce residents to buy from affiliated transporters using marked vehicles.
  • Recent actions also include the arrests of union-linked figures Juan “N,” Guillermo “N,” Christian Jesús “N,” and, in a separate move reported by Excélsior, Juan Manuel “N” (“El Maya”), accused of running illegal tanker operations in several municipalities.