Mexico Captures 'El Borregas', a Union Boss Accused of Extortion, Kidnapping, and Land Theft in Ecatepec

He ran two unions, extorted water wells, held a 60-year-old woman at gunpoint, and operated across a dozen municipalities in the Estado de México. This week, the law finally caught up with him.

Misael "N", known as "El Borregas", was arrested in Ecatepec by a joint operation involving the Mexican Navy (MARINA), the State Prosecutor's Office (FGJEM), and Ecatepec Municipal Police. He was a priority target of "Operación Restitución", a security operation aimed at dismantling criminal networks operating in the state's most troubled municipalities.

El Borregas wasn't a low-level thug. He held two formal positions of power: secretary of the self-styled "25 de Marzo" union and president of the Piperos union of Ecatepec, the organization that controls water truck delivery in the area. Both groups operate under the umbrella of USON, the Unión de Sindicatos y Organizaciones Nacionales de la República Mexicana.

Behind that union cover, authorities say, ran a criminal operation that included extortion, kidnapping, robbery with violence, land theft, drug dealing, illegal lending (the predatory "gota gota" loan sharking practice), impersonating official vehicles, and attacks on communication infrastructure.

The case that triggered the investigation dates back to October 2024. On October 12, a property owner arrived at his land in Ecatepec to clean up and collect his cleaning supplies. A man approached him, threatened him, and told him to leave. The land, he was told, belonged to his boss, "Fragoso."

The next day, October 13, the victim returned with others, including a woman in her 60s. El Borregas showed up in a sedan, pulled a firearm, and threatened to kill them unless they handed over one million pesos. He promised that once they paid, they'd get the property back.

The Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation, identified Misael "N" as the suspect, and obtained an arrest warrant for extortion.

A Pattern of Predation

The October incident was not isolated. Authorities say El Borregas ran a systematic operation across a wide swath of the Estado de México. His reach extended into Ecatepec, Chalco, Tecámac, Coacalco, Tultitlán, Zumpango, Acolman, Tultepec, Tlalnepantla, Huehuetoca, and Teotihuacán.

In February 2024, he allegedly approached a water well in San Pedro Xalostoc, Ecatepec, and told the operator that he was taking control. The price: 70,000 pesos per month. Refuse, and he'd harm her and her family. El Borregas and his associates occupied the well and ran it until October 2025, when "Operación Caudal" seized it. The property remains under government control.

The property from the October 2024 case was also eventually recovered. On September 19, 2025, authorities inspected and secured the site, and on October 29, it was returned to its legitimate owners.

El Borregas's brother, Guillermo "N", is the national leader of USON and is currently a fugitive from justice. The organization has been linked to a string of arrests across the state. Multiple USON members have been detained for extortion, express kidnapping, land theft, and in one case, homicide and attempted homicide.

The pattern suggests that USON, or at least elements within it, functions less as a legitimate labor organization and more as a front for organized criminal activity. Union protection provides cover, access to infrastructure, and a veneer of legitimacy that makes it harder for authorities to intervene.

Misael "N" has been transferred to the Centro Penitenciario y de Reinserción Social de Ecatepec, where he'll remain until a judge determines his legal status. As with all detainees in Mexico, he is considered innocent until proven guilty.

His arrest is a significant win for Operación Restitución, which has been targeting high-value criminal figures in the Estado de México, a state that rings Mexico City and has long struggled with organized crime, extortion, and violence.

Whether the arrest dismantles the broader network or just removes one player from the board is an open question. El Borregas's brother is still at large, and USON's organizational structure means there are likely others ready to step into the gap.

But for the water well operators, the property owners, and the 60-year-old woman who was held at gunpoint, the arrest is at least a measure of accountability. In Ecatepec, that counts for something.