Cartel Drug Lab with Rocket Launchers, Witchcraft Altars Found in Mexico City

A large-scale raid carried out by local and military forces in Mexico City uncovered a series of tunnels and stash houses where cartel members handled drugs, weapons, and performed witchcraft rituals.

The raid took place on Tuesday morning in Mexico City, when more than 600 city cops, 147 Mexican Marines, and 90 agents with the prosecutor’s office raided several stash houses throughout the Tepito neighborhood in the Cuauhtémoc borough, Mexico’s City’s Public Security Secretariat revealed in a prepared statement. As a result of the operation, authorities arrested 31 suspects, including five women, who are believed to be members of the cartel known as “Union de Tepito.” The current head of the criminal organization, a man known only as Oscar aka Lunares, managed to escape.

During the raid, authorities found various shrines used for witchcraft rituals where human remains were apparently used as offerings or ornaments.

In the first two homes that cops raided, authorities found a series of bunkers and tunnels in addition to two labs used to cook synthetic drugs. The seized items included approximately 100 pounds of chemical precursors, two and a half tons of marijuana, 40 pounds of cocaine, and eight pounds of crystal meth.

In two other homes, authorities found a rocket launcher, seven rifles and 13 handguns, as well as several ammunition magazines and ammo for different calibers. Cops also seized approximately $1.5 million pesos ($79,000 USD).

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com. 

Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.