Entérate sobre la detención de “El Mudo” por masacre de los LeBarón
Roberto “N”, alias “El 32” o “El Mudo”, was arrested on November 23, 2020, in Nuevo Casas Grandes along with two bodyguards. Army and National Guard units carried out the operation after months of investigation that began the previous year. Authorities identified him as the state leader of the criminal group La Línea and charged him with ordering the 2019 massacre of the LeBarón family. Adrián LeBarón later confirmed that SEIDO notified the family of the arrest.
Two other men, Eulalio “N” known as “El Cóndor” and Julio “N,” were detained at the same time and face the same proceedings. La Línea operates as one of the armed wings tied to the Juárez cartel, though reports have described its gradual move toward independent operations. The group gained wider attention after 2017 when its members appeared in public caravans and shootouts aimed at securing territory around Casas Grandes.
Control de Chihuahua
The northeastern stretch of Chihuahua remains a key corridor for moving drugs and weapons. La Línea and factions aligned with the Sinaloa cartel continue to clash over the same municipalities that saw heavy fighting in 2019. Recent years brought new alliances, including cooperation between La Línea and the CJNG for moving synthetic drugs. Internal splits inside La Línea also produced a breakaway cell called La Empresa, which now competes for the same plazas.
Confrontations between La Línea and groups such as Los Cabrera have kept the area unstable. Extortion and local drug sales in towns like Galeana add another layer to the territorial disputes. Federal and state forces still conduct operations, yet the pattern of retaliatory violence has not disappeared.
Caso de la familia LeBarón
On November 4, 2019, three SUVs carrying seventeen members of the LeBarón family were ambushed on a dirt road between Sonora and Chihuahua. Gunmen opened fire and set one vehicle ablaze. Nine people died, six of them children. The government stated that the attackers mistook the convoy for a rival drug convoy. Investigators later tied the attack to La Línea.
Additional suspects have been charged since the first arrests in 2020. One man identified as “El Monster” was linked to the case in 2025. A federal judge formally recognized the surviving family members as victims of organized crime, opening the door to compensation claims. Some relatives have also pursued civil cases in U.S. courts. Annual marches on the anniversary keep the demand for full accountability in public view.
Reincidencia
The LeBarón family has faced targeted violence for more than a decade. In 2009, Eric LeBarón was kidnapped and released after family pressure on authorities. Two years later, his brother and brother-in-law were killed in what the family described as retaliation. Julián LeBarón joined the Movimiento por la Paz con Justicia y Dignidad led by poet Javier Sicilia before leaving the group in 2012. He has continued public advocacy work since then.
Reports from 2024 through 2026 describe new incidents of armed men approaching family homes in Galeana and Alamillo. The family has filed complaints about surveillance and threats tied to their activism and local political involvement. They continue to hold yearly demonstrations calling for investigations that reach higher-ranking figures.
¿Quién es “El Mudo”?
Roberto González Montes, known as El 32 or El Mudo, is described by authorities as a former municipal police officer and anti-kidnapping agent in Madera. He rose inside La Línea to become plaza boss for Nuevo Casas Grandes and surrounding areas. Prosecutors allege he coordinated the 2019 ambush on the LeBarón convoy. His arrest came with two bodyguards and two other suspected members of the same cell.
Evolución de La Línea tras 2020
After the initial arrests, La Línea underwent internal fractures. InSight Crime documented the emergence of La Empresa as a rival faction drawing away some mid-level operators. At the same time, the group strengthened ties with the CJNG, which began supplying fentanyl precursors and finished product for distribution through Juárez. In October 2024 the U.S. Treasury sanctioned several La Línea figures for their role in moving the synthetic opioid north.
Avances y pendientes judiciales en el caso LeBarón
Beyond the 2020 detentions, prosecutors secured additional indictments, including the 2025 link of “El Monster.” Mexican federal courts formally classified the victims as targets of organized crime, a step that unlocked limited state compensation. Family members have also filed suits in U.S. courts seeking damages. Despite these moves, the family states that key planners remain at large and that full trials have yet to conclude.
Amenazas continuas contra la familia LeBarón
Community reports from Galeana and Alamillo describe repeated sightings of armed men near family properties in 2026. Relatives say the intimidation is connected to their public calls for justice and local political activity. Security forces have increased patrols at times, yet the family continues to document incidents they believe are meant to silence their activism.
Contexto actual de violencia en el noroeste de Chihuahua
Disputes between La Línea and Sinaloa-linked cells such as Los Cabrera persist across the same municipalities that saw clashes in 2019. The CJNG’s growing footprint through its alliance with La Línea has added another layer of competition. Local residents report ongoing pressure from extortion schemes tied to both drug routes and small-scale mining operations. State and federal authorities maintain checkpoints, but residents describe the security situation as fragile and subject to sudden flare-ups.
