Court records reveal that messages found on Mendoza’s seized phones linked him to Juan José Farías Álvarez, known as “El Abuelo” — the leader of United Cartels. A tractor trailer from Mexico tied to Mendoza’s operation was found to contain 850 kilograms of meth hidden in its floor.
Full DOJ statement on the case
U.S. Indictments of Mexico Drug Operation
The indictments, unsealed Thursday, target “El Abuelo,” Alfonso Fernández Magallón (“Poncho”), Nicolás Sierra Santana (“El Gordo”), Edgar Orozco Cabadas (“El Kamoni”), and Luis Enrique Barragán Chavaz (“Wicho”). All are believed to be in Mexico.
The U.S. State Department is offering rewards totaling up to $26 million for their capture — including $10 million for “El Abuelo.”
Cartel’s Reach and U.S. Strategy
United Cartels, a rival of Jalisco New Generation Cartel, exerts strong control over Mexico’s Michoacán state, a region significant for its avocado exports. Though less famous than its rivals, it is a prolific methamphetamine producer and was named a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration.
