Updated 02:25 PM EDT, Thu, Mar 28, 2024

The Five Most Wanted Cartel Leaders In Mexico

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With the recent capture of some of Mexico's biggest cartel leaders, it's important to know who's left running things. From Zetas to Sinaloa on down, these are the most wanted cartel leaders in Mexico right now.

Rafael Caro Quintero

As one of the most notorious drug lords of the '80s, Caro Quintero was sentenced to 40 years in prison in 1989 for the murder of DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena in 1985. He was the leader of the notorious Guadalajara Cartel, which was Mexico’s principal drug trafficking outfit at the time. Under Quintero, the cartel was responsible for trafficking $5 billion per year of marijuana and heroin to the United States.

A shocking turn came about last August when a federal judge in Mexico overturned Quintero's sentence, and he was released on a technicality after 28 years. U.S. authorities issued a new warrant for his arrest, but his release from prison was so sudden that the gap in time between the warrant being issued and Quintero's release meant he got away quickly. He's still on the run to this day, despite an ongoing international manhunt for him.

Vincente Carrillo Fuentes
Vincente Carrillo Fuentes is the nephew of the leader of the Juarez cartel, and is thought to be second in command of the narco-trafficking group. Juarez cartel is based out of Cuidad Juarez, Mexico, directly on the other side of El Paso, and is one of the most violent organizations in Mexico. Unfortunately, because of a battle for control over the area, they've become even more dangerous in recent years.

Alliances with the Sinaloa cartel soured recently, and the Juarez cartel has teamed up with Los Zetas, another massive, and massively violent cartels. They are locked in a turf war in Cuidad Juarez with their former Sinaloa allies, in which thousands have been left dead.

Servando Gomez, or "La Tuta"

Known as "La Tuta," or "The Teacher," Servando Gomez is a Mexican drug lord and leader of the Knights Templar Cartel, a criminal organization based in the state of Michoacán. He is a former leader and founder member of La Familia Michoacana drug cartel, the split-off group of the Knights Templar.

The Knights Templar cartel is often referred to as a quasi-religious group or a cult, since the violent members refer to their beheadings and assassinations as "divine intervention."

The group has grown under his control, and according to the indictment, La Tuta is responsible for ensuring that La Familia's drug trafficking activities were not impeded by law enforcement, and also for acquiring weapons for use by the cartel

Omar Trevino Morales

Los Zetas have quickly become one of the most violent, most notorious cartels in Mexico, especially now that they are under the control of Omar Trevino Morales, or "Z 42," as he's known by the cartel members.

After the capture of his brother, Miguel Angel "Z-40" Trevino, Omar was designated as the new leader of the cartel. Omar has been blamed for kidnappings and killings in Nuevo Laredo that occurred between 2005 and 2006, according to information from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. He is wanted for organized crime and possession of firearms for use by the Army, Navy and Air Force.

Stories of the violent nature of the cartel leader run deep. A former hit man for Los Zetas, Rosalio Reta, spoke of gang activities during a prison interview and recalled how Trevino Morales couldn't sleep at night unless he killed. Treviño Morales loved to hunt, be it deer or people, said Rosalio Reta, a so-called teenage sicario, or hit man, who gained notoriety for his participation in a string of U.S. murders allegedly ordered by the cartel leader.

Juan Pablo Ledesma, or "El JL"

Juan Pablo Ledesma, or "El JL," is believed to be the leader of La Línea. El JL has been on Mexico's most wanted list since 2009.

Juan Pablo Ledesma is the second-highest leader in the Juarez cartel and was behind much of the rise in cartel crime in 2011. According to Mexican authorities, "El JL" is responsible for illegal activities in the Chihuahua plaza and is in command of at least two groups of gunmen, and he is wanted for organized crime and drug activity.


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