Mexico, leader of the Nuevo Imperio cartel killed in firefight
Edgar Aarón Vázquez Alvarado was killed during the execution of an arrest warrant for organized crime
Quick Look
- Edgar Aarón Vázquez Alvarado, alias El General or El Lic, founder and leader of the Nuevo Imperio Cartel, died in a firefight with federal agents in the State of Mexico during an arrest warrant.
- He was under investigation for kidnapping, extortion, murder, money laundering and drug trafficking to the United States and Canada, and was sanctioned by the US Treasury on November 19, 2025.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Vázquez Alvarado was sanctioned on November 19, 2025 by the US Treasury Department for providing protection in Mexico to Canadian Ryan James Wedding and for using contacts in the police force to identify criminal targets. The Mexican authorities also indicated him as the instigator of the murder of Milton Morales Figueroa, head of intelligence for the Mexico City police, killed on July 21, 2024.
Edgar Aarón Vázquez Alvarado, known by the aliases "El General" or "El Lic", died during a firefight with federal agents in the State of Mexico. This was reported by the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Omar García Harfuch, explaining that the agents were executing an arrest warrant for organized crime when they were attacked by gunfire. Security forces responded to the attack, killing the suspect.
According to what reported by Milenio, Vázquez Alvarado was the founder and leader of the Nuevo Imperio Cartel, a criminal organization active in the State of Mexico, Morelos and Mexico City. He was also under investigation for kidnapping, extortion, murder, illegal occupation of property, money laundering, fuel theft and drug trafficking to the United States and Canada.
On November 19, 2025 he was sanctioned by the US Treasury Department, which accused him of having provided protection in Mexico to the Canadian Ryan James Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder wanted by the United States for drug trafficking, and of having used contacts in the police force to identify targets for his organization. The Mexican authorities had also indicated him as the instigator of the murder of Milton Morales Figueroa, head of intelligence for the Mexico City police, murdered on 21 July 2024.
García Harfuch assured that investigations will continue to identify and arrest the other members of the group and dismantle its criminal networks.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Mexican authorities will identify and arrest other members of the Nuevo Imperio Cartel.
Likely · Within weeks
The criminal networks of the Nuevo Imperio Cartel will be dismantled.
Possible · Within months
Open Questions
- What will be the next developments in the investigations to identify and arrest the other members of the Nuevo Imperio Cartel?
- How will the cartel reorganize itself after the death of its founder and leader?
- What specific evidence links Vázquez Alvarado to the murder of Milton Morales Figueroa?
