Inside The ‘Operativa Lagarto’, The Violent Armed Branch Of CJNG In Michoacán

saga obtained exclusive access to the ‘Operativa Lagarto’, an armed group within the Jalisco New Generation Cartel fighting for the mountains of Michoacán.

For the following work we gathered one of Mexico’s best photographers who have remained anonymous for security reasons and Jorge Rojas, founder of ‘Armapedia’, one of YouTube’s biggest channels in Spanish analyzing arms, war and armies around the world. This is the kind of work you never see on legacy media. Please consider subscribing. 

Context by Luis Chaparro: 

URUAPAN, Michoacán.— The sound of bugs in the quiet mountains mix with the buzzing of men in the distance. An unnamed Mexican photographer -one of the very few with direct access to the guts of the ruthless Jalisco New Generation Cartel- walks with his camera on hand. He is here on assignment for saga. The man he is meeting with asked him to be here right before sunset to have just enough light available for a very short photoshoot. He was asked to leave all cell phones, wallet, watch and car keys behind. He is an unnamed brave man who brings us these exclusive images from the ranks of a criminal group terrorizing Mexico. 

In September 2023 the CJNG leadership in Michoacán gathered a very small group of journalists at an undisclosed location near Uruapan. They wanted to share a new announcement -a propaganda tactic often used by the Jalisco Cartel in several states around Mexico-: We want to introduce our new armed branch, Operativa Lagarto, a large group of heavily armed men dedicated to fight of ‘Los Viagras’ from Michoacán’s mountains. 

The Operativa Lagarto got its name from its leader, ‘El Lagarto’, a former self defense commander who fought hand to hand with former autodefensa leader Hipólito Mora. Sources say he is based out of Buenavista in Michoacán and operates in Michoacán and Nayarit. He is said to be extremely violent. He had ordered more than a 100 enemy beheadings. 

The goal: fight the turf in Tierra Caliente against Los Viagras, el Cártel de la Huacana, el Cártel de Tepalcatepec and what is left of Los Caballeros Templarios. 

Most of the men gathered were in their twenties. A few over fifty stood in the shadows, masked, distrusting the camera. The youngest were not even 18 years old, careless, excitedly showing their guns.

Analysis by Jorge Rojas at ‘Armapedia’ for saga: