Picture of Aureliano Guzmán Loera, also known as "El Guano," older brother of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán; the Department of State is currently offering $5 million for information leading to his capture
Via U.S. State Department
Mexican media reported a fire at a ranch located in the community of La Tuna, in the municipality of Badiraguato, Sinaloa, an area historically linked to drug trafficking and, in particular, the Sinaloa cartel.
The fire allegedly stemmed from a drone attack that caused damage and destruction to a ranch tied to the family of Aureliano Guzmán Loera, known as "El Guano," the older brother of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.
The incident allegedly took place Jan. 31, with videos of the attack quickly spreading across social media. According to information circulating online and reported by Infobae México, the attack on the Guzmán family property was allegedly orchestrated by the Guasave Cartel, led by Fausto Isidro Meza Flores, known as "El Chapo Isidro," and Óscar Manuel Gastélum, known as "El Músico," who are engaged in an ongoing conflict with the faction led by El Guano.
So far, Mexican authorities have not released official information regarding the alleged attack.
RelatedQUEMAN EL CIELO' DE LOS GUZMANUn rancho presuntamente propiedad de Aureliano Guzmán Loera, "El Guano", hermano de Joaquín Guzmán, fue incendiado en La Tuna, municipio de Badiraguato, Sinaloa, de donde es originario el clan. Se atribuye el ataque a Óscar Gastélum, "El Músico",… pic.twitter.com/p2RyljLGMu
— José Díaz (@JJDiazMachuca) February 2, 2026
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The outlet noted that this is not the first time a property linked to the Guzmán family has been targeted with drones. In October of last year, a home belonging to Consuelo Loera Pérez, the late mother of El Chapo and El Guano, was struck by an explosive device dropped from a drone, an attack that was also attributed to the Guasave Cartel.
Considered a high-ranking leader of the Sinaloa cartel during its peak, El Guano has been sought by U.S. authorities for decades. The State Department is currently offering a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture.
According to reports from Mexican and U.S. authorities, El Guano has overseen drug production and trafficking in remote areas of the Sinaloa mountains, particularly in Badiraguato, where the cartel's roots run deep. His operations have focused on the production of poppy crops, marijuana, heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine.
Once turf wars between Los Chapitos and La Mayiza erupted in Culiacán in September 2024, El Guano allegedly took sides with each faction at different points. Early reports indicated that Aureliano Guzmán had decided to fight against his nephews and aligned himself with La Mayiza, led by Ismael Zambada Sicairos, known as "Mayito Flaco."
Months later, it was reported that El Guano had reconciled with Los Chapitos and reached an agreement to combat other factions that were gaining territory in Sinaloa, particularly in Culiacán and Badiraguato.
One of the groups that "Gente del Guano" reportedly targeted was the Guasave Cartel, with whom it disputes territories and control over drug trafficking routes in Sinaloa's mountainous regions.
For months, the clashes have triggered a wave of gunfights, power outages, drone attacks and the displacement of hundreds of people. According to official data, more than 500 people have fled neighboring communities as a result of the escalating violence.
In the municipality of Badiraguato, a haven for drug trafficking in Mexico, residents said that the violence reached their homes in September 2025.
"All night there were bursts of gunfire and a drone dropping explosives," a woman in Bacacoragua, where about 20 families live, told Revista Espejo.
According to eyewitnesses interviewed by the outlet, armed groups now patrol the streets of Badiraguato, control access to communities and block roads, forcing residents to abandon their homes.
"The armed men just go back and forth saying they are El Guano's against El Músico's," one resident said.
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Tags: Mexico, Sinaloa, Sinaloa Cartel
