Authorities captured Sergio Serrano, alias “El Checo,” on Wednesday, May 13, after an air-and-ground pursuit that stretched more than 30 kilometers along the Tecate-Ensenada highway. The 51-year-old, originally from Acapulco, Guerrero, is identified by security officials as a regional leader of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) in the Tecate area.
Officers apprehended Serrano on a dirt road near Rancho Viejo, in the municipality of Tecate, at approximately 2:00 p.m. During the chase, he fired on pursuing patrol units and deployed spike strips, known locally as “ponchallantas,” to disable police vehicles.
CJNG’s “Los Volteados” Cell in Tecate
Security officials tie Serrano to a CJNG faction called “Los Volteados.” The group split from the Sinaloa Cartel in December 2025, and the two organizations have been fighting for control of Tecate. Investigators say the CJNG faction operates primarily out of Nueva Colonia Hindú, a settlement along the Tecate-Ensenada corridor.
The arrest follows a pattern of high-profile captures in the municipality. On April 17, authorities detained Salomón Barragán, alias “El Salo,” another alleged CJNG leader in Tecate, at a home in Colonia Alfonso Garzón. Barragán reportedly oversaw a network of more than 100 surveillance cameras placed on Tecate’s main avenues and highways, including the Tecate-Ensenada and Tecate-Mexicali routes.
Ongoing Cartel Violence on a Key Route
The Tecate-Ensenada highway has been the site of repeated cartel confrontations in recent months. In February 2026, gunmen from the Sinaloa Cartel and the Arellano Félix organization attacked a CJNG safe house in Nueva Colonia Hindú. That clash lasted more than 40 minutes. Combatants blocked the highway with tire barricades, some set ablaze, and scattered spike strips to prevent police from entering.
The route is well traveled by residents and visitors moving between the border city of Tecate and Ensenada’s wine country in the Valle de Guadalupe. Temporary closures and checkpoints have become more common along the corridor as authorities step up operations against both cartels.
Serrano’s detention was confirmed through Mexico’s National Detention Registry. Reports from Infobae noted that intelligence sources also link him to a multi-cartel cell known as FEU, which allegedly brings together members of the CJNG and the Sinaloa Cartel. The original report was published by Semanario ZETA in Tijuana.