News & Media
State and federal authorities—supported by Veruna Minerals—ended years of cartel control in 2024, restoring lasting security and reopening La Ciénega to lawful enterprise and renewed growth.
Gold, guns and cartels:
The battle for a billion-dollar mexican mine
October 6th, 2025
A gold mine in Mexico’s Sonoran desert was taken over by the sons of drug lord Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán. Mexican officials and generals said they would help an American businessman reclaim the mine — after hefty bribes. For one man, reclaiming the mine was more than a business proposition. It was a reckoning with his past and a chance to pay back the orphanage that raised him.
Gold, guns and cartels:
The battle for a billion-dollar mexican mine
October 6th, 2025
A gold mine in Mexico’s Sonoran desert was taken over by the sons of drug lord Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán. Mexican officials and generals said they would help an American businessman reclaim the mine — after hefty bribes. For one man, reclaiming the mine was more than a business proposition. It was a reckoning with his past and a chance to pay back the orphanage that raised him.
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Sonora Government Establishes Permanent State Police Presence in La Ciénega
Move restores confidence and security among residents, workers, and local producers.
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For Five Years, Cartels Controlled Town and Mines in Sonora
La Ciénega, in the municipality of Pitiquito, was under total control of criminal groups that seized local ranches and roads.
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U.S. Mining Company Urges Sonora Governor to Maintain Security; Property Recovered After Seizure by Organized Crime
The gold mining company said in a letter that it trusts the leadership of the Sonora governor.
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Families Dispossessed of Land for Illegal Gold Mining in Sonora
Authorities warn that criminal groups, conducting the activity without oversight, have begun to harm the local ecosystem and wildlife.
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Clandestine Gold Mine Discovered in Pitiquito, Sonora; Security Forces and Navy Arrest Eight
Authorities shut down an illegal gold mine in Pitiquito, a municipality bordering Hermosillo and Caborca in the state of Sonora.
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Sonora: Town and Mines Recovered from Cartel Control After Five Years!
After five years under criminal rule, security authorities report that the town of La Ciénega, in the municipality of Pitiquito, Sonora, is now secure.