'El Yescas', boss of the CJNG faction Los Piñas, arrested in Veracruz

 ”stevectpa” for Borderland Beat

Members of the Veracruz State Police arrested Luis Alberto Juan Yescas, alias “El Yescas”, identified as a head of Los Piñas, a local faction of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) in southern Veracruz and Oaxaca.

El Yescas was arrested alongside Daniel Oldhair Grajales Lara while driving a stolen vehicle through Cordoba municipality. Both men were speeding and tried to lose the state police patrol unit that asked them to stop. As they fled through San Juan Evangelista municipality they were arrested.

The officers searched their vehicles and found narcotics and multiple firearms, and proceeded to send them to the Attorney General’s Office based in Coatzacoalcos municipality.

Originally from Tuxtepec, Oaxaca, El Yescas has a long criminal record in Veracruz and Oaxaca. He worked under Raúl Estrada Espinoza, alias “El Rucho”, who was killed in the port of Veracruz on September 16, as reported by Borderland Beat. 

According to information provided by the security forces, El Yescas had been wanted for several months. He is reportedly responsible for driving much of the cartel-related violence in the area. He worked closely with the brothers Alberto and Jacinto Rodriguez, the co-leaders of Los Piñas. Both siblings are still at large.

Police officers say that El Yescas was carrying out toll collection and extortion work at the various material transport unions in the municipalities of Playa Vicente, Rodríguez Clara, Isla and Azueta in Veracruz, as well as in Sochiapan and Tuxtepec in the state of Oaxaca.

The Government of Veracruz launched an intense operation in the area with the state police in early 2020 to crackdown on Los Piñas. El Yesca and others fled to various municipalities to avoid capture.

In regards to Daniel Oldhair Grajales Lara, it was reported that he was be providing protection to El Yescas in the town of Cuauhtémoc, which is why he is considered part of the criminal group in the region. This man is related to Albino Lara Ramos, a cartel leader in the area who went missing in March 2020. He was close to Raúl Martinez Torreblanca, alias “El Cuija” and/or “El 30″, who also controlled organized crime activities in the area.

Sources: e-Veracruz; Plumas Libres; Silla Rota