Five days after his arrest by the Mexican Navy, authorities announced the capture of Armando Maldonado Lozoya “Chivo” or “El Senor de Los Cuernos”, a hitman commander for La Linea, an armed wing of the Cartel de Juárez.
Maldonado Lozoya was arrested Ciudad Juárez on September 25 by the Navy and Attorney General’s Office (FGR) as part of a several raids in the city that week. While several security operations were reported in the news media, Maldonado Lozoya’s arrest was not published until five days later. By that time, he had already been flown to Mexico City.
The night of the arrest, three vehicles were reported burned in Ciudad Juárez.
“El Chivo”, appeared on a joint most wanted list issued by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in August 2024, wanted for homicide.
“El Chivo” is the second Juarez Cartel leader captured since the U.S. designated the group a Foreign Terrorist Organization in July 2026. In early September, the Mexican Army and National Guard captured Epifanio N, alias “El Pepa”, the plaza boss of La Línea in Manuel Ojinaga, Chihuahua, as reported by Borderland Beat.
Following his arrest, a narco banner with a threatening message addressed to authorities and a cooler containing a goat’s head was found at the Libramiento Independencia overpass.
The message stated:
“Maru Campos, why haven’t you presented Armando Lozoya C., “El Chivo,” “Lord of the Horns,” even though you already have him detained in Cereso #3, the plaza boss here in Juárez, the main kidnapper and extortionist, one of the most wanted in the USA?”
