This is how Hernán Bermúdez Requena was arrested in Paraguay: with money, wine, and jewelry.

The fall of former Tabasco Public Security Secretary Hernán Bermúdez Requena did not occur in the secrecy of a makeshift hideout, but in a comfortable residence in Paraguay. Images of the operation show in detail how the man accused of being the alleged leader of La Barredora , a criminal organization linked to extortion and express kidnapping, was caught.

The operation

The arrest took place on the night of September 12, 2025, in a two-story house protected by walls and surveillance cameras. Armed officers from Paraguay's National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD) , in coordination with Mexico's Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC) and the National Intelligence Center (CNI), entered the property while others surrounded the dirt road in front of the property.

In the videos, Bermúdez can be seen wearing beige sweatpants and visibly bewildered, sitting in an armchair while agents show him official documents. A soldier with a rifle stands guard a few inches away.

The insured

The photographs of the seizure reveal a scene that mixes luxury, money, and everyday life . On the living room table, the agents placed bundles of $100 bills and Paraguayan guaraníes, along with Mexican coins. Bank cards, IDs, and yellow envelopes with handwritten notes lay to one side.

Gold bangles, pearl necklaces, semiprecious stones, and bracelets were also found in black velvet bags. In another area of ​​the house, a wooden cart with crystal glasses, a bottle of Italian sparkling wine, and a Bose portable speaker were found.

The residence's grounds included a garden with a lighted pool, reinforcing the image of a comfortable life during his stay in the South American country.

Judicial context

Bermúdez had an arrest warrant issued in Mexico since February 2025 for criminal association, extortion, and express kidnapping. In July, Interpol issued a red notice allowing for his international search. According to authorities, after months of intelligence work, he was located in Paraguay, a country that collaborated with Mexican forces for his arrest and subsequent extradition.

Repercussions

The arrest of Hernán Bermúdez shook not only the security sector but also the political sphere. The former official had been close to Adán Augusto López's group, and his capture exposes delicate ties between public officials and organized crime structures.

Now, as he faces justice, images of his capture serve as a graphic testament to how a man who held a high-ranking position in Tabasco ended up surrendering in a foreign country surrounded by jewels, money, and wine.

The arrest of Hernán Bermúdez Requena represents a significant symbolic and operational blow for Mexican authorities.

Bermúdez Requena served as head of the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection of Tabasco from 2019 to 2022, under the administration of Adán Augusto López Hernández, now a senator.

The criminal group "La Barredora," of which he is alleged leader, initially emerged as a split from the Beltrán Leyva cartel in the Acapulco area of ​​Guerrero, but in recent years has expanded its operations to southeastern Mexico, especially in Tabasco, Chiapas, and Campeche, where crimes of extortion, express kidnapping, and human trafficking have been documented.

Regarding the arrest warrant, the National Registry of Arrests and the Attorney General's Office (FGR) confirm that it was issued in February 2025 following an investigation initiated by complaints from local businessmen alleging an extortion network allegedly protected by high-ranking state police officers. Interpol officially published the red notice on July 11, 2025, allowing for international tracking.

According to reports from the newspaper Excélsior and the Paraguayan National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD), the arrest was made possible thanks to intelligence cooperation between Mexico and Paraguay, in which DEA ​​personnel also participated as observers. The residence where the arrest took place is located on the outskirts of San Bernardino, a tourist city on the shores of Lake Ypacaraí, about 40 kilometers from Asunción, known as a refuge for businessmen and foreign figures.

The extradition process has reportedly already been formally requested by Mexico through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE), and is expected to be processed within 20 to 30 days, in accordance with bilateral criminal cooperation agreements.