Octavio Hoyos

Photographer

Weapons of narco.

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"Only the dead have se...quot; a legend in the gun grip.

"Only the dead have seen the end of the war" a legend in the gun grip.

Gold revolver.

Filigree revolver.

Gold gun grip with Mexican nati...hield (Eagle eating a serpent).

Gold gun grip with Mexican national Shield (Eagle eating a serpent).

Gold grip commemorating the Mexican independence.

Gold gun grip with the religiou...uot;difficult causes".

Gold gun grip with the religious image of Saint Jude Thaddeus, considered in Mexico for "difficult causes".

Gold and precious stones gun gr...age of the Virgen of Guadalupe.

Gold and precious stones gun grip with the image of the Virgen of Guadalupe.

Gold gun grip with precious sto..."Holy death".

Gold gun grip with precious stones and diamond trigger with the image of the "Holy death".

Gold gun grip with diamonds with the logo of the designer Versace.

Gold gun grip with diamonds with the logo of the watch label Rolex.

Gold details with an image of a...te "Sinaloa".

Gold details with an image of a ak47 and the name of the Mexican state "Sinaloa".

Gold weapon in memory of Mexica...mp;quot;Pancho Villa".

Gold weapon in memory of Mexican revolution leader "Pancho Villa".

Gold weapon in memory of Mexica...quot;Emiliano Zapata".

Gold weapon in memory of Mexican revolution leader "Emiliano Zapata".

Gold gun with filigree and the ...uot;difficult causes".

Gold gun with filigree and the religious image of Saint Jude Thaddeus, considered in Mexico for "difficult causes".

Gold grip commemorating the Mexican independence.

Gold gun grip with diamonds and...quot;The Masterpiece".

Gold gun grip with diamonds and precious stones with the legend "The Masterpiece".

Gold gun grip with the last nam...po" Guzmán.

Gold gun grip with the last name "Lascano", presumably owned by the drug dealer Heriberto Lazcano, leader of the "Los Zetas" organization who died in 2012. Until the day of his death, he was considered the second most wanted drug trafficker in Mexico after Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.

Gold gun grips with and justice...mp;quot;Pancho Villa".

Gold gun grips with and justice eagle and the other with the image of the Mexican revolution leader "Pancho Villa".

Gold gun grips with precious st...maulipas. Sauceda dies in 2009.

Gold gun grips with precious stones and diamonds with the name "Héctor Sauceda", drug trafficker and high ranking leader of the Gulf Cartel in Tamaulipas. Sauceda dies in 2009.

Ak47 gun magazine made of gold.

Chinese drawings and motifs on ... "Los Zetas".

Chinese drawings and motifs on the long gun allegedly owned by Flavio Méndez Santiago, known as "Comandante Amarillo"(Yellow commander); founder and leader of the crime organization "Los Zetas".

A palm tree in a long gun magaz...aid that he is still in prison.

A palm tree in a long gun magazine owned by Héctor Palma Salazar, aka "El Guero Palma". Palma founded the "Pacific cartel" with Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán and Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo. Arrested on 1995, he has served his sentence between U.S.A. and Mexico; his release is expected at the end of February of 2021. It is said that he is still in prison.

Gold and diamonds grips with th...f the Juárez cartel.

Gold and diamonds grips with the acronym "ACF", belonging to the name of Amado Carrillo Fuentes, known as "El señor de los cielos" (The lord of the skies"). His nickname was for his fleet of planes with which he transported drugs. He was partner of Pablo Escobar Gaviria and leader of the Juárez cartel.

Filigree in a long weapon grip made with gold.

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Thumbnail of "Only the dead have see_;quot; a legend in the gun grip.

Thumbnail of Gold gun grip with Mexican natio_Shield (Eagle eating a serpent).

Thumbnail of Gold grip commemorating the Mexican independence.

Thumbnail of Gold gun grip with the religious_quot;difficult causes".

Thumbnail of Gold and precious stones gun gri_mage of the Virgen of Guadalupe.

Thumbnail of Gold gun grip with precious ston_ "Holy death".

Thumbnail of Gold details with an image of a _ate "Sinaloa".

Thumbnail of Gold weapon in memory of Mexican_amp;quot;Pancho Villa".

Thumbnail of Gold weapon in memory of Mexican_;quot;Emiliano Zapata".

Thumbnail of Gold gun with filigree and the r_quot;difficult causes".

Thumbnail of Gold gun grip with diamonds and _;quot;The Masterpiece".

Thumbnail of Gold gun grip with the last name_apo" Guzmán.

Thumbnail of Gold gun grips with and justice _amp;quot;Pancho Villa".

Thumbnail of Gold gun grips with precious sto_amaulipas. Sauceda dies in 2009.

Thumbnail of Ak47 gun magazine made of gold.

Thumbnail of Chinese drawings and motifs on t_n "Los Zetas".

Thumbnail of A palm tree in a long gun magazi_said that he is still in prison.

Thumbnail of Gold and diamonds grips with the_of the Juárez cartel.

Thumbnail of Filigree in a long weapon grip made with gold.

Public Project

Weapons of narco.

Copyright Octavio Hoyos 2025

Updated Mar 2021

Topics Arrests and Prosecutions, Corruption, Crime, Documentary, Drug Abuse, Drugs, Editorial, Essays, Gangs, Guns, Illegal Trafficking, Kingpin, Latin America, Mexico, Narc, Photography, Photojournalism, Politics, Prison, Traffickers, War, Weapons

Flaunt power, thought and fear. The weapons of hitmen and drug traffickers in Mexico are a reflection of their ideology and lifestyle. Death linked to impunity provided by corruption in a country in suspense where money is the basic tool of survival.

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Octavio Hoyos

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