Two high-ranking cartel lieutenants who are part of a criminal organization that masquerades as a self-defense group are now facing terrorism related charges, as well as drug trafficking charges, in a U.S. federal court. While the two men are criminally indicted and wanted in the United States, they are currently believed to be in Mexico, where they enjoy the protection of the terrorist organization known as Carteles Unidos.
This week, a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. handed down the indictment against 31-year-old Juan Jose “Juanjo” Farias Mendoza and his cousin, 37-year-old Israel “Papo” Vega Farias. Farias Mendoza is the son of Juan Jose “El Abuelo” Farias Alvarez, while Vega Farias is his nephew. El Abuelo Farias is the current leader of Carteles Unidos, one of the most powerful cartels in Mexico, which has a history of carrying out terrorist attacks using explosives, mass killings, and other deadly tactics.
However, as Breitbart Texas reported, El Abuelo Farias has been hiding his activities in Mexico by claiming he leads a self-defense group and a community police force in the town of Tepalcatepec. While in the past, federal authorities arrested him in Mexico, a federal judge released him under suspicious circumstances. El Abuelo and his forces continue to operate in Michoacan and other parts of Mexico with little interference from Mexican authorities.
The three-count indictment formally accuses the two relatives of El Abuelo of drug trafficking conspiracy charges and providing support for a terrorist organization. The terrorism charge is tied to the U.S. government formally designating six Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Carteles Unidos is one of the largest meth producers in Mexico, and has established operations in Dallas, Texas; Houston, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Kansas City, Missouri; Sacramento, California; Los Angeles, California; Denver, Colorado; and Chicago, Illinois. Breitbart Texas has also independently confirmed that Carteles Unidos has a presence in South Texas, including Hidalgo and Cameron County.
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 Iortiz@breitbart.com.
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 bdarby@breitbart.com.