State investigators arrested two men and seized methamphetamine and marijuana from a home on Calle Mezquite in La Paz’s El Cordoncito neighborhood on May 16, shutting down what authorities described as a retail drug sales point for at least the second time.
Santiago, 43, and Bernabé, 40, were detained during the operation. Their last names were not released. Agents from the Baja California Sur Attorney General’s Office (PGJE) recovered approximately 380 grams of marijuana, which prosecutors estimated at roughly 760 individual doses, and 33 grams of crystal methamphetamine, packaged into an estimated 825 street-level doses.
Repeat Target for Law Enforcement
The PGJE’s high-impact crimes unit led the raid. According to the original Spanish-language report, the property had been shut down before as a “narcotienda,” or drug shop, a term used in Mexico for fixed locations that sell narcotics at the retail level. The headline of the source article referred to the location being “shuttered again,” confirming prior law enforcement action at the same address.
El Cordoncito sits on the southern outskirts of La Paz, away from the tourist corridor along the malecón. The neighborhood is primarily residential, with a mix of small homes and unpaved streets.
Suspects Turned Over for Prosecution
Both men were transferred to the PGJE’s specialized narcotics commerce unit. That office will determine their legal status and decide whether formal charges for retail drug trafficking, known in Mexican law as narcomenudeo, will proceed.
Narcomenudeo cases in Baja California Sur are prosecuted at the state level rather than by federal authorities. Under Mexican law, possession of methamphetamine above 40 milligrams is considered grounds for criminal prosecution. The 33 grams seized in this case exceeds that threshold by a wide margin.
Part of a Broader Anti-Drug Push
The PGJE said the operation was part of an ongoing strategy against retail drug sales across the state. Authorities also credited citizen tips with helping identify active drug sales locations. The agency pledged to continue similar operations.
La Paz has seen periodic crackdowns on small-scale drug distribution points in residential neighborhoods. These operations typically target fixed locations rather than street-level dealers, aiming to disrupt supply chains that serve local consumers.
This story was first reported by Colectivo Pericú.