Pressure from the U.S. government on Mexico forced the country’s political elite to overlook prior protection and preferential treatment and hunt down key leaders of the terrorist organization Carteles Unidos. The results of this new effort by Mexico to appease the United States led to the arrest of two leaders and the death of a third one in recent weeks, while the two highest-ranking leaders with the most political connections remain at large.
The most recent raid took place on September 23, when Mexican police forces arrested Edgar Valeriano “El Kamoni or El 50” Orozco Cabadas, for whom the U.S. Department of Justice is offering a $3 million reward. The man known as El Kamoni is a regional leader of Carteles Unidos and is believed to be responsible for the large-scale production of synthetic drugs, as well as the widespread extortion of citrus and avocado growers in the region. For years, Carteles Unidos has been waging a fierce turf war with the terrorist group Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG).
Credit: Breitbart News Foundation / Cartel Chronicles
El Kamoni’s arrest comes weeks after Mexican military forces clashed with and killed Luis Enrique “El Guicho, Wicho or R-5” in Michoacan. As Breitbart Texas reported, El Guicho also had a $3 million reward for his capture. At the time military forces went to arrest him, he and his gunmen clashed with authorities, leading to a deadly shootout where the cartel boss and his teen nephew-bodyguard died.
Credit: Breitbart News Foundation / Cartel Chronicles
Law enforcement sources in Mexico revealed to Breitbart News Foundation that, at the time of the raid, Mexican authorities were also targeting Juan Jose “El Abuelo” Farias, another top leader of Carteles Unidos and head of the Tepalcatepec Cartel. This cartel masquerades as a self-defense movement. Even though authorities were targeting El Abuelo, the crime boss was tipped off by a Mexican official at the highest level before the raid and managed to escape. Breitbart News Foundation exclusively published the addresses of El Abuelo’s hideouts, schedule, and restaurants he visits; however, Mexican authorities have still not been able to arrest him.
Wanted cartel boss El Abuelo (Center). (Credit: Breitbart News Foundation/ Cartel Chronicles)
The death of El Guicho came just weeks after Mexican authorities had arrested Alfonso “Poncho La Quiringa” Fernandez Magallanes, another top leader with Carteles Unidos who had a $5 million bounty on his head. In that raid, El Abuelo also escaped after being tipped off.
The two pending leaders of Cárteles Unidos are El Abuelo Farias and Nicolas “El Gordo” Sierra, the leader of Los Viagras, who also has a $5 million bounty from the U.S. government. Los Viagras is another cartel that has a history of masquerading as a self-defense group.
Cartel Boss Gordo Sierra (Far Right) Credit: Breitbart News Foundation / Cartel Chronicles
Mexico’s willingness to go after certain cartel bosses appears to be an effort to divert attention from the U.S. pressure to also go after cartel-connected politicians. As Breitbart Texas reported, Sinaloa’s current governor, Ruben Rocha Moya, is a wanted fugitive of the U.S. Department of Justice. He is accused in a criminal indictment of drug trafficking conspiracy and weapons charges for allegedly working with the Sinaloa Cartel. While not public yet, other sitting governors and top-level political elites tied to the country’s ruling party, Morena, are targets of cartel-connected cases not only involving drugs but also illegal fuel operations.
Rather than helping with arrests and extraditions, Mexico’s government and its president, Claudia Sheinbaum, clashed with the U.S. and publicly defended Rocha Moya under the guise of national sovereignty, accusing the U.S. of interventionism while also claiming there is no evidence of wrongdoing on the fugitive’s part, Breitbart Texas reported.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart News Foundation. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at [email protected].
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at [email protected].
Jose Luis Lara from Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles Project contributed to this report.
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