Chapitos-Linked U.S. Citizen Arrested in Mazatlan, Sinaloa

By “El Huaso” for Borderland Beat

Janero Van de Mario Garrett, a U.S. citizen allegedly linked to the Los Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, was arrested by Mexican security forces in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, announced security minister Omar García Harfuch this morning.

Garrett was arrested in a joint operation with Secretaría de Marina (Semar), SSPC, Fiscalía General de la República (FGR) and the Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM), as well as information exchange with the U.S. DEA. Garrett will be deported to the U.S. According to Milenio, Garrett has a current arrest warrant issued by the Eastern District Court of Michigan for the crime of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

It is unclear exactly what Garrett’s relationship with Los Chapitos was. His arrest in the port city of Mazatlan, a major entry point for precursor chemicals and exit point for synthetic drugs, suggests he may have been sourcing narcotics to bring into the U.S., though this is unconfirmed.

Garrett has a lengthy criminal history in the U.S. ranging twenty years, including carrying concealed weapons, possession of stolen property, and assault. In February 2024, Garrett was arrested in connection with the murder of a man in Canton Township, Michigan. He was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a firearm by a felon, and an additional charge of a second-offense felony firearm, but not homicide.

Sources: Milenio, Harfuch Twitter, Click on Detroit