U.S. counterterrorism officials said they helped arrest a Jalisco New Generation Cartel affiliate in Mexico who had a hand in the syndicate’s drug and human trafficking operations and is also accused of gunning down a Texas teenager.
The National Counterterrorism Center, which is under the umbrella of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, said it provided intelligence to U.S. and Mexican authorities to track down Alfredo Ezequiel Galaviz Jr. earlier this month in the city of Chihuahua.
He was quickly brought to the U.S., with the knowledge and cooperation of Mexican authorities.
NCTC officials said Mr. Galaviz was involved in trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamines and cocaine on behalf of the cartel.
“We have intensified efforts to locate and arrest the narcoterrorists and human smugglers who were welcomed into our homeland during the previous administration. The days of open borders are over,” NCTC Director Joe Kent said in a statement shared exclusively with The Washington Times.
“We are equipping federal, state, and local law enforcement officers with the intelligence and tools they need to hunt down and eliminate the violent thugs and criminals who terrorize our communities and threaten our way of life,” he said.
The Times contacted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement about when Mr. Galaviz illegally crossed into the U.S. but did not receive an immediate response.
He was arrested by U.S. Marshals, NCTC agents and Mexican authorities on Dec. 5.
Mr. Galaviz’s arrest ended a lengthy search for the suspect that started following a deadly shooting in October 2024.
The Texas Department of Public Safety said it charged him with murder in connection to the killing of a 16-year-old boy in West Odessa.
Investigators said they originally spoke with Mr. Galaviz right after the slaying because they found an AR-15 and a handgun stashed inside a boat near the scene.
Mr. Galaviz told authorities that he helped his cousins hide the weapons in the boat after they opened fire on a group of men who were chasing after his uncle.
he suspect said that he and his uncle had left a party after getting into a fight with the men, according to the report, and that his uncle called Mr. Galaviz a short while later to say the men were speeding after him in a car.
Mr. Galaviz told investigators that his cousins opened fire on the men’s vehicle in retaliation and killed the boy inside.
But authorities said that when police interviewed the cousins, they accused Mr. Galaviz of pulling the trigger. The suspect’s stepmother also said she heard Mr. Galaviz conspiring to pin the killing on his cousins, according to police.
Mr. Galaviz stopped communicating with investigators after they spoke with the suspect’s relatives. He remained on the lam until his capture in Mexico.
President Trump’s designation of Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations has granted U.S. authorities broader powers to crack down on the international gangs.
That includes counterrorism surveillance and military-grade strikes, as seen with attacks on suspect drug boats in the Caribbean Sea.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
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