STORY: Mexico's Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch has become the country's latest heartthrob, with his face adorning a long list of products.
"These blankets - I had several friends ask me to get them these little blankets."
His soaring popularity follows the February 22nd raid that killed the infamous cartel leader known as 'El Mencho.'
The operation, which Garcia Harfuch helped lead, was personal for the 44-year-old security chief.
:: Claudia Sheinbaum via X
He blamed El Mencho for a 2020 assassination attempt that left him with three bullet wounds and killed two of his bodyguards.
Political and security analysts say Garcia Harfuch is a likely presidential contender in 2030, when President Claudia Sheinbaum's term ends.
Early polling shows Garcia Harfuch ahead of other prominent political figures.
Merchant Teresa Garcia says interest in merchandise of the security chief has ballooned.
"They were not selling that much, but we had been carrying them since he first started holding government posts. Then of course what people want now is this one, the 'naked' - that is what they call it. Obviously, he is in boxers, but it is not really him. We looked for something that would seem decent, tasteful, and that would suit him."
Garcia Harfuch did not respond to Reuters' request for comment regarding the popularity of merchandise featuring his image.
On MercadoLibre, Latin America's top online marketplace, a Harfuch blanket was listed among the platform's bestsellers.
Ingrid Rebeca Sanchez, who designs Garcia Harfuch merchandise at a factory in Mexico City, told Reuters that as many as 150 blankets are sold per day.
Some orders are even coming from the United States.
"Yes, since El Mencho's arrest, he has really taken off as security chief. He is the sensation among all the ladies, really among everyone. They love him, they want him in their bed, they want him to dry off with, they want him as a keepsake everywhere - the ladies want him."
