Ardillos

The Ardillos are a Mexican criminal organization involved in heroin trafficking and production, illegal mining, and the extortion of Indigenous communities and legal industries, including transportation and food sales. Their main area of influence is the state of Guerrero, particularly the regions known as La Montaña and Montaña Baja.

What’s in this profile:

What Is the History of the Ardillos?

The Ardillos were founded in the early 2000s by Celso Ortega Rosas, alias “La Ardilla,” a former rural police officer from Quechultenango, Guerrero. The group emerged from the fragmentation of the Gulf Cartel and the Beltrán Leyva Organization (Organización Beltrán Leyva – OBL). Both criminal groups expanded into Guerrero because of its strategic location as a drug production hub, particularly for opium poppy cultivation that was refined into heroin, as well as a cocaine trafficking corridor.

The OBL expanded in the region through a strategy of providing personnel and weapons to existing criminal networks while guaranteeing them access to criminal markets, effectively creating local affiliates. However, following the death of Arturo Beltrán Leyva and the arrest of his brothers in 2009, the organization weakened, leaving a control vacuum in the region’s criminal economies. As a result, local factions claimed greater autonomy and consolidated their control over disputed territories. This led to extreme territorial fragmentation, with more than 40 illegal groups operating in Guerrero.

Growing competition over the heroin supply chain meant that not all groups enjoyed equal access to the trade. Medium-sized and smaller groups such as the Ardillos expanded their revenue streams into other criminal economies, including extortion and illegal mining.

The Ardillos have been accused of using violence and intimidation against Indigenous communities in Guerrero. Between 2014 and early 2015, a dispute between the Rojos and the Ardillos placed both groups at the center of violence in Guerrero. The confrontation focused on controlling drug production and sales, as well as extortion, piracy, and kidnapping in the municipalities of Chilpancingo, Tixtla, Chilapa, and Eduardo Neri.

In November 2014, the Ardillos left a threatening message aimed at the Rojos alongside the human remains of 11 people. On May 9, 2015, amid territorial disputes, a group of 300 Ardillos members entered the community of Chilapa, took control of the city, detained 11 public officials, and caused the disappearance of 16 people.

In 2020, they murdered 10 musicians from the Indigenous Náhua community of Alcozacán. The event attracted national attention after the Regional Coordinator of Community Authorities–Founding Peoples (Coordinadora Regional de Autoridades Comunitarias-Pueblos Fundadores – CRAC-PF), an Indigenous self-defense group, released a video showing 19 children between the ages of six and 15 being trained to use weapons to defend themselves against the Ardillos. The images sparked public outrage. However, they emerged in a context in which the Chilapa region had been abandoned by the state as armed criminal groups posed a serious threat and recruited young farmers into their ranks.

The Ardillos have also sought to weaken the rule of law through threats and killings targeting political leaders. In May 2015, they were linked to the murder of Ulises Fabián Quiroz, a mayoral candidate in Chilapa. In 2024, they were connected to the decapitation of Chilpancingo Mayor Alejandro Arcos Catalán.

Who Are the Leaders of the Ardillos?

The Ardillos were founded by Celso Ortega Rosas. However, following his murder in 2011, allegedly by rival criminal groups, his sons assumed control, consolidating the organization as a criminal structure sustained by family ties.

Of his seven children, three have been identified as the group’s principal leaders. Celso Ortega Jiménez, known as “La Vela” or “El Ardillo Mayor,” is considered the organization’s current leader. Jorge Iván Ortega Sánchez, alias “El Barco,” is believed to be the second-in-command and responsible for financial operations. Antonio Ortega Jiménez, alias “La Parota,” is considered the third-in-command and oversees operations alongside Celso.

Celso Ortega Rosas’ other children are Pedro, Juana, Lilia, and Bernardo, and all remain under investigation. Bernardo Ortega Jiménez has been identified as the political operator of the Ardillos because he has held public office in Guerrero. 

Where Do the Ardillos Operate?

The Ardillos’ operations are concentrated in the region known as La Montaña in Guerrero. They also exercise criminal control in at least 10 municipalities where opium poppy cultivation is concentrated: Quechultenango, Mochitlán, Tixtla, Chilpancingo, Juan R. Escudero, Chilapa, Zitlala, Atlixtac, Ahuacotzingo, and Acatepec.

Quechultenango is considered one of the group’s principal operational centers. Although their main base is in La Montaña, they also maintain an intermittent presence in other parts of Guerrero, including the state capital, Chilpancingo.

Who Are the Ardillos’ Allies and Enemies?

Following the death of Arturo Beltrán Leyva in 2009, the OBL’s affiliates in Guerrero multiplied, triggering an internal struggle for control of the heroin supply chain. The Rojos, which had the strongest presence in Guerrero, became the Ardillos’ historic rivals. However, the group has weakened in recent years due to internal disputes and government actions, giving the Ardillos an advantage.

The Tlacos, which initially emerged as a self-defense group to combat criminal organizations such as Guerreros Unidos, the Rojos, the Tequileros, and the Familia Michoacana, also became rivals of the Ardillos. In 2022, disputes over Petaquillas—an important poultry production center and a key drug trafficking transit point—caused shortages of basic food products and multiple people were killed.

As for allies, the Ardillos have managed to consolidate political ties. One of the most notable cases is Bernardo Ortega Jiménez, brother of Celso and Antonio, the group’s alleged leaders. Bernardo has held several public offices, serving as a PRD legislator in Guerrero from 2005 to 2008 and from 2012 to 2015, as well as municipal president of Quechultenango from 2002 to 2005. He has denied any links to the criminal network.

At the local political level, Mercedes Carballo Chino, municipal president of Chilapa for the 2024-2027 term, is another relevant figure. Chilapa is a municipality where the group has significant influence, and Carballo Chino is the sister-in-law of Celso Ortega Jiménez. Also connected to this network is Irving Said Ortega Carballo, the mayor’s private secretary and the son of Celso Ortega Jiménez, the organization’s alleged leader.

What Is the Outlook for the Ardillos?

The Ardillos have taken advantage of the weakening heroin economy to diversify their sources of income.

They have also focused on upgrading their arsenal, incorporating high-caliber weapons and drones equipped with explosives, which have had significant humanitarian consequences.

Their survival over the years has largely depended on protection from local authorities and the weak presence of the state in the areas where they operate.