Tennessee car accident leads to US charges against major Mexican drug operation
The investigation culminated with Justice Department indictments unsealed Thursday against three leaders and two high-ranking enforcers of the United Cartels, a leading rival of Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
The U.S. government is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest of United Cartels' top leader, Juan José Farías Álvarez — 'El Abuelo,' or the grandfather — along with multimillion-dollar rewards for the four others. All five are believed to be in Mexico.
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Matthew R. Galeotti speaks during a press conference at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., June 30, 2025.
REUTERS
The cases, as outlined in court documents, provide a glimpse into how drugs produced by violent cartels in large labs in Mexico flow across the U.S. border and reach American streets. They also highlight the violent fallout that drug trafficking leaves in its path from the mountains of Mexico to small U.S. towns.
'These cases in particular serve as a powerful reminder of the insidious impacts that global cartels can have on our local American communities,' Matthew Galeotti, acting assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department's criminal division said in an interview with The Associated Press. 'The chain started with a violent cartel in Mexico and it ended with law enforcement being shot at in a small town.'
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United Cartels is an umbrella organization made up of smaller cartels that have worked for different groups over time. It holds a fierce grip over the western state of Michoacan, Mexico, an area of economic interest to the United States because its avocado exports.
United Cartels is not as widely known as Jalisco New Generation, but given its role as a prolific methamphetamine producer, it has become a top tier target for U.S. law enforcement. It was one of eight groups recently named foreign terrorist organizations by the Trump administration.
A car crash and an abandoned protective case
The case goes back to 2019, when two dealers got into a car accident near Rockwood, Tennessee, outside of Knoxville, according to a search warrant affidavit filed in court. While fleeing the scene of the crash, they threw a hardened protective case filled with meth behind a building before being caught by police, according to court documents.
Authorities began investigating, using wiretaps, search warrants and surveillance to identify a man believed to be leading a major drug ring in the Atlanta area: Eladio Mendoza.
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The investigation into Mendoza's suspected drug operation led law enforcement in early 2020 to a hotel near Atlanta. During their surveillance, authorities spotted a man leaving with a large Doritos bag. Troopers tried to stop the man after he drove from Georgia into Tennessee but he fled and fired an AK-style rifle at officers, hitting one in the leg before another trooper shot him. Inside the bag, police found meth and heroin, and identified him as a low-level dealer for Mendoza's drug ring, court records say.
The U.S. Department of Justice logo is seen on a podium before a press conference, May 6, 2025, at the Justice Department in Washington.
AP
Weeks later, authorities searched properties linked to Mendoza and seized phones. They discovered messages between Mendoza and a close associate of 'El Abuelo,' the leader of United Cartels, that showed the drugs were coming from Mexico, according to the court records. On one of Mendoza's properties, investigators found a tractor trailer that had crossed from Mexico days earlier. When they searched it, authorities seized 850 kilograms of meth hidden in the floor of the truck and discovered more drugs inside a bus and a home on the property, court papers say.
Mendoza fled the U.S. a short time later and returned to Mexico, where he was killed by cartels leaders angry that U.S. authorities had seized their cash and drugs, according to prosecutors.
Cartels are targeted with terrorist designations
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The case represents the latest effort by the Republican administration to turn up the pressure on cartels through not only indictments of the groups' leaders but sanctions targeting their financial network. The Treasury Department is also bringing economic sanctions against the five defendants as well as the United Cartels as a group and a cartel under its umbrella, Los Viagras.
'We have to pursue these criminals up and down the chain to make sure that the end result doesn't result in violence and narcotics distribution on our streets,' Galeotti said.
In addition to 'El Abuelo,' those facing U.S. indictments are Alfonso Fernández Magallón, or Poncho, and Nicolás Sierra Santana or 'El Gordo,' who authorities say lead smaller cartels under the United Cartels organization. The two other defendants are Edgar Orozco Cabadas or 'El Kamoni,' who was communicating with Mendoza, and Luis Enrique Barragán Chavaz, or 'Wicho,' who serves as Magallón second-in-command, according to authorities.
The Trump administration has seen major cooperation from Mexico in recent months in turning over cartel leaders wanted by U.S. authorities.
In February, Mexico sent the U.S. 29 drug cartel figures, including drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, who was behind the killing of a U.S. DEA agent in 1985, to the U.S. And on Tuesday, the Mexican government transferred to American custody 26 additional cartel leaders and other high-ranking members, including a man charged in connection to the killing of a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy.
'We're working with the Mexican authorities to pursue these individuals,' Galeotti said. 'We continue to work proactively with them, and we expect that they'll be helpful with us in securing the presence of these individuals in United States courtrooms.'
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CBS News
3 hours ago
- CBS News
Tennessee car accident leads to $10 million bounty for accused Mexican drug cartel leader dubbed "The Grandfather"
The investigation began years ago after two drug dealers got into a car accident in a small Tennessee town. What followed was a series of secret wiretaps, a shootout with police and the discovery of drugs hidden in a tractor trailer that would eventually lead federal investigators back to cartel leaders in Mexico. The investigation culminated with Justice Department indictments unsealed Thursday against three leaders and two high-ranking enforcers of the United Cartels, a leading rival of Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The U.S. government is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest of United Cartels' top leader, Juan José Farías Álvarez - "El Abuelo," or the grandfather - along with multimillion-dollar rewards for the four others. All five are believed to be in Mexico. The cases, as outlined in court documents, provide a glimpse into how drugs produced by violent cartels in large labs in Mexico flow across the U.S. border and reach American streets. They also highlight the violent fallout that drug trafficking leaves in its path from the mountains of Mexico to small U.S. towns. "These cases in particular serve as a powerful reminder of the insidious impacts that global cartels can have on our local American communities," Matthew Galeotti, acting assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department's criminal division said in an interview with The Associated Press. "The chain started with a violent cartel in Mexico and it ended with law enforcement being shot at in a small town." United Cartels is an umbrella organization made up of smaller cartels that have worked for different groups over time. It holds a fierce grip over the western state of Michoacan, Mexico, an area of economic interest to the United States because its avocado exports. United Cartels is not as widely known as Jalisco New Generation, but given its role as a prolific methamphetamine producer, it has become a top tier target for U.S. law enforcement. It was one of eight groups recently named foreign terrorist organizations by the Trump administration. The case goes back to 2019, when two dealers got into a car accident near Rockwood, Tennessee, outside of Knoxville, according to a search warrant affidavit filed in court. While fleeing the scene of the crash, they threw a hardened protective case filled with meth behind a building before being caught by police, according to court documents. Authorities began investigating, using wiretaps, search warrants and surveillance to identify a man believed to be leading a major drug ring in the Atlanta area: Eladio Mendoza. The investigation into Mendoza's suspected drug operation led law enforcement in early 2020 to a hotel near Atlanta. During their surveillance, authorities spotted a man leaving with a large Doritos bag. Troopers tried to stop the man after he drove from Georgia into Tennessee but he fled and fired an AK-style rifle at officers, hitting one in the leg before another trooper shot him. Inside the bag, police found meth and heroin, and identified him as a low-level dealer for Mendoza's drug ring, court records say. Weeks later, authorities searched properties linked to Mendoza and seized phones. They discovered messages between Mendoza and a close associate of "El Abuelo," the leader of United Cartels, that showed the drugs were coming from Mexico, according to the court records. On one of Mendoza's properties, investigators found a tractor trailer that had crossed from Mexico days earlier. When they searched it, authorities seized 850 kilograms of meth hidden in the floor of the truck and discovered more drugs inside a bus and a home on the property, court papers say. Mendoza fled the U.S. a short time later and returned to Mexico, where he was killed by cartel leaders angry that U.S. authorities had seized their cash and drugs, according to prosecutors. The Justice Department says United Cartels' drug distribution network spans the U.S., with hubs in Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Kansas City, Sacramento, California, Los Angeles, Denver and Chicago. Federal prosecutors allege profits from drug sales in the U.S. are "allegedly used to acquire heavy weaponry, hire mercenaries, bribe local officials, and fund lavish lifestyles for cartel leaders." The case represents the latest effort by the Republican administration to turn up the pressure on cartels through not only indictments of the groups' leaders but sanctions targeting their financial network. The Treasury Department is also bringing economic sanctions against the five defendants as well as the United Cartels as a group and a cartel under its umbrella, Los Viagras. "We have to pursue these criminals up and down the chain to make sure that the end result doesn't result in violence and narcotics distribution on our streets," Galeotti said. In addition to "El Abuelo," those facing U.S. indictments are Alfonso Fernández Magallón, or Poncho, and Nicolás Sierra Santana or "El Gordo," who authorities say lead smaller cartels under the United Cartels organization. The two other defendants are Edgar Orozco Cabadas or "El Kamoni," who was communicating with Mendoza, and Luis Enrique Barragán Chavaz, or "Wicho," who serves as Magallón second-in-command, according to authorities. The Trump administration has seen major cooperation from Mexico in recent months in turning over cartel leaders wanted by U.S. authorities. In February, Mexico sent the U.S. 29 drug cartel figures, including drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, who was behind the killing of a U.S. DEA agent in 1985, to the U.S. And on Tuesday, the Mexican government transferred to American custody 26 additional cartel leaders and other high-ranking members, including a man charged in connection to the killing of a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy. "We're working with the Mexican authorities to pursue these individuals," Galeotti said. "We continue to work proactively with them, and we expect that they'll be helpful with us in securing the presence of these individuals in United States courtrooms." Last week, Mr. Trump directed the military to target drug cartels in Latin America, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to CBS News. It's not clear if or when the military could take action. Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum responded by saying there would be "no invasion of Mexico."
Fox News
4 hours ago
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Rogan says voters are frustrated because they expected Trump's ICE raids to nab gang members, not landscapers
Joe Rogan claimed on Wednesday that American voters are frustrated because they had hoped ICE raids would only target violent criminals, not laborers. The podcaster warned that ICE, by arresting people whose only crime was immigrating illegally, is alienating the electorate. Rogan, who endorsed Trump on the eve of the 2024 election and interviewed him during the campaign, criticized the president's immigration raids at construction sites and other workplaces during an early July episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience." Now, weeks later, Rogan made a similar critique after Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., argued on his show that recent pop-up riots against ICE have been spurred by Chinese money in an effort to divide Americans, particularly before the midterms. Rogan responded that while that may be true to some degree, there is also some genuine belief the administration has gone too far. "So, I absolutely believe this is true, that I'm sure other countries fund similar things, but also it was a reaction to some of the ICE raids, right?" Rogan said. "It was a visceral reaction that a lot of people had to the idea of people just showing up and pulling people out of schools and pulling people out of Home Depot and pulling people that were just hardworking people that maybe snuck over here because they didn't have a legal way to get over here, but since they've been here, they've been good people and they're a part of communities." The podcast host added further, "That's what freaks people out, because when people thought about ICE, they thought, 'Great, we're going to get rid of the gang members.' They didn't think, 'Great, you're going to get rid of the landscaper.'" "I'm sure some of these riots are manufactured, I'm sure they are," he later added, clarifying he doesn't disagree with Luna's assertions entirely. He also expressed his belief that America absolutely needs to enforce its border to prevent cartel members and other criminals from entering. "But the thing that freaks people out is, like, how many corporations rely on illegal labor?" he asked. He also empathized with the perspective of an illegal immigrant. "If you're just a landscaper, you're just a guy who lives in a Third World country and you want a better life, and you say, 'I heard you can get across, and I heard when you get across, you can get work' — like, what is that guy going to do?" Rogan asked. "That guy doesn't have the money to hire a lawyer. How is he gonna prove that he is more valuable than a United States citizen that's already here doing the exact same job?" Luna responded by arguing that both sides want the problem to continue because they benefit from it, a theory that frightened Rogan, who replied, "That's so nuts, and probably so accurate." Trump proposed making exceptions for millions of illegal laborers in various industries in July, while acknowledging this will enrage "radical-right people, who I also happen to like a lot."
Miami Herald
4 hours ago
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100,000 apply to join ICE: Will they target criminals, or gardeners and nannies?
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Just ask 18-year-old Kenny Laynez Ambrocio, an American citizen who was recently detained by the Florida Highway Patrol and Border Patrol while riding in a landscaping truck with his mother and coworkers. He secretly videotaped his arrest, showing the aggressive tactics used by the agents, as reported by the Herald on Aug. 13. On its official website, ICE says it is recruiting 'patriots' for a mission 'to arrest murderers, pedophiles, gang members, rapists, and other criminal illegal aliens.' The agency's pitch adds that it needs 'dedicated Americans' to 'remove the worst of the worst from our country.' Thanks to a record $170 billion for immigration activities recently approved by Trump's 'Big Beautiful' law —which will be more than the combined budgets of the FBI and the CIA — ICE is offering applicants a $50,000 signing bonus to be paid over the next few years. 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We've seen a similar hiring binge in the past, and it resulted in disastrous vetting failures, Reichlin-Melnick said. In the 2000s, the Border Patrol hired 8,000 new agents, doubling its size in four years, and ended up hiring many people who were secretly working for the drug cartels. A Cato Institute study found that from 2006 to 2016, Border Patrol agents were six times more likely than their FBI counterparts to be fired for misconduct. Furthermore, a 2014 investigation by revealed that in a seven-year period, 2,170 Customs and Border Patrol agents had been arrested on various charges. Garrett Graff, the journalist who led the investigation, told CNN on July 17 that ICE 'already has some of the lowest hiring standards for its officers in the U.S. government.' With the new hiring binge, he warns, we risk recruiting 'exactly the wrong type of people for this job.'' But the shift in strategy is even more alarming. The Trump administration has shifted from its initial focus on detaining criminal undocumented immigrants to simply rounding up as many people as possible. This includes hundreds of thousands who were legally in the country under temporary residency permits that had been renewed annually. Trump has rescinded most such permits, including those that were given to Cubans, Venezuelans, Nicaraguans and other people fleeing from dictatorships. 'Far from focusing on the worst of the worst, this administration has been focused on filling detention centers with as many people as they can,' Reichlin-Melnick told me. 'It has abandoned previous enforcement priorities that focused on arresting those with the most serious criminal records.' Most of ICE's detainees in recent months are people without criminal records, according to a recent Cato Institute study and several press reports based on the agency's own data. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, a top anti-immigration advocate, told Fox News in May that the Trump administration was setting a goal of 3,000 ICE arrests a day. The consequences of these expanded ICE raids are likely to be felt far beyond the family separations and human suffering of undocumented immigrants. If you live in South Florida and care to ask around, you will find that many immigrants have stopped going to restaurants or shopping malls for fear of being detained. Some even fear going out for a Cuban coffee. That's almost certain to hurt the economy, far beyond undocumented people. If ICE were truly focused on criminals, this hiring spree would be a cause for celebration. But the evidence suggests a much more alarming reality. Don't miss the 'Oppenheimer Presenta' TV show on Sundays at 9 pm E.T. on CNN en Español. Blog:
