Authorities in Paraguay have arrested Hernán Bermúdez, a former top security official from Mexico, in a dramatic operation that has sent shockwaves through both South and Central America. On the morning of September 13, 2025, Paraguayan police, acting on intelligence and financial tracking, apprehended Bermúdez at a luxurious home, ending his months-long flight from justice and raising fresh concerns about the expansion of Mexican cartel influence in the region.
Bermúdez, who once served as the state security chief in Tabasco, Mexico, is accused of running a criminal organization called “La Barredora” (The Sweeper) while still in office. According to Paraguay’s National Antidrug Secretary Jalil Rachid, Bermúdez’s journey to Paraguay was anything but straightforward. He fled Mexico for Panama, then continued to Brazil, before entering Paraguay illegally—an odyssey that authorities believe was aimed at laying the groundwork for a new criminal network in South America.
"We found him through certain financial transactions that he made here in Paraguay," Rachid explained, as reported by the Associated Press. Authorities were able to track Bermúdez after he used a credit card, a slip that ultimately led to his capture. The arrest itself was captured on video and posted by Paraguay’s President Santiago Peña on X, formerly known as Twitter. The footage shows heavily armed police in camouflage battering down the door and forcing Bermúdez to the floor at gunpoint—a stark visual reminder of the high stakes surrounding this case.
The arrest occurred early Saturday morning in Paraguay, which was late Friday night in Mexico. For many observers, the swift and forceful nature of the operation underscored the seriousness with which Paraguayan authorities are treating the threat of transnational organized crime. Bermúdez’s wife had also entered Paraguay illegally but managed to legalize her status on August 27, 2025, according to Rachid. Notably, Bermúdez’s nephew had been arrested in Paraguay just a couple of months prior, suggesting that the family’s presence in the country was part of a broader, coordinated move.
Authorities believe Bermúdez was not acting alone. He is suspected of being in contact with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of Mexico’s most powerful and violent criminal organizations. This cartel has been linked to drug trafficking, extortion, and a host of other crimes across the Americas, and its potential expansion into Paraguay has set off alarms among law enforcement agencies.
The charges Bermúdez faces in Mexico are severe: criminal association, extortion, and kidnapping. Mexican officials had been investigating him since 2024, and a warrant for his arrest was issued in February 2025. Interpol subsequently issued an international alert for his arrest in July, increasing the pressure on authorities across the region to bring him to justice.
According to the Associated Press, Bermúdez accepted extradition to Mexico, but not the expedited process, meaning he will remain in Paraguayan custody while legal proceedings play out. This could take weeks or even months, depending on the complexities of the case and any appeals that might arise.
The implications of Bermúdez’s arrest go far beyond the criminal charges themselves. His tenure as Tabasco’s top security official was marked by a dramatic surge in violence, much of it tied to drug trafficking. In January 2025, as violence escalated, Bermúdez resigned from his post. His fall from grace has reverberated through the highest levels of the Mexican government, in part because of his close ties to Adán Augusto López, then the governor of Tabasco and a key political ally of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
López, who later served as Mexico’s interior secretary and even vied for the governing party’s presidential nomination against current President Claudia Sheinbaum, has insisted he had no knowledge or suspicion of Bermúdez’s alleged criminal activities. Now a senator, López’s political future could be clouded by the ongoing investigation, even as he seeks to distance himself from the scandal. The Associated Press notes that López has “denied having any indication or suspicion of what Bermúdez was up to,” a statement that has done little to quell speculation about the depth of the rot within Tabasco’s security apparatus during Bermúdez’s tenure.
The case has also highlighted the porous nature of borders in Latin America and the ease with which high-profile fugitives can slip from one jurisdiction to another. Bermúdez’s ability to evade capture for months—traveling across at least three countries before being apprehended—has raised questions about regional cooperation and the effectiveness of international law enforcement mechanisms. While the Interpol alert undoubtedly played a crucial role in focusing attention on his whereabouts, it was ultimately a mundane financial transaction that gave him away.
Observers in both Mexico and Paraguay are now watching closely to see what the next steps will be. For Paraguay, the arrest is a signal that the country is serious about confronting the threat posed by international criminal organizations. For Mexico, it is an opportunity to bring a high-profile suspect to justice and, perhaps, to begin addressing the deeper issues of corruption and impunity that have plagued its security forces for years.
The story of Hernán Bermúdez is, in many ways, emblematic of the broader challenges facing Latin America as it grapples with the spread of organized crime. The alleged involvement of a former top security official in criminal activities is a stark reminder that the lines between law enforcement and lawbreaking can sometimes blur in the face of immense pressure and opportunity. As the extradition process unfolds, both countries will be under the spotlight—not just for their ability to prosecute one man, but for their willingness to confront the systemic issues that allowed such a situation to arise in the first place.
For now, Bermúdez remains behind bars in Paraguay, awaiting the outcome of extradition proceedings. The case continues to send ripples through political circles in Mexico, serving as a sobering example of how high-level corruption and organized crime can undermine public trust and threaten regional stability.
