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Born in Mexico · Nationality Mexican — Crime / mafias / terrorism / criminal cases

Vicente Carrillo Fuentes

Organised crime and cartels

Documented profile covering 10 controversies, including “2025–2026: transfer to United States, not-guilty plea and ongoing proceedings” and “14 September 2021: Mexican sentence of 28 years' imprisonment”.

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Profile No. 2644 · Updated on 12 October 2026

10Documented controversies
8Sources
· 1 followed by a conviction

§ Legal statuses reflect the documented sources as of the date shown; they replace neither court decisions nor the presumption of innocence. Counts are not a rating. Methodology

I. Documented controversies

Case · 4 documented stages

2025–2026: transfer to United States, not-guilty plea and ongoing proceedings

Formally charged
01

2025-02-28–2026-09

2025–2026: transfer to United States, not-guilty plea and ongoing proceedings

Formally charged

On 28 February 2025, Mexico transferred Carrillo Fuentes to the United States, where he appeared before the federal court in Brooklyn on seven counts, including continuing criminal enterprise, cocaine conspiracies, firearms and money laundering. He pleaded not guilty. On 28 July 2026, the defence and prosecution obtained an additional 90 days to negotiate a possible agreement; the next hearing was scheduled for 20 October 2026.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Accused

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    U.S. Department of Justice — Eastern District of New YorkRafael Caro Quintero and Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, Former Leader of the Juarez Cartel, Expelled to the United StatesOfficial statementPrimary source
  2. [2]
    Animal Político / Grupo AnimalVicente Carrillo “El Viceroy” volverá a la Corte en octubre en EUPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 14 September 2026

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03

2019-10-02

2 October 2019: US superseding indictment for continuing criminal enterprise and murder conspiracy

Formally charged

Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn filed a superseding indictment charging Carrillo Fuentes with a continuing criminal enterprise, several cocaine distribution conspiracies, firearms and money laundering offences, and a murder conspiracy forming part of the alleged criminal enterprise.

Attribution
Accused

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    U.S. Department of Justice — Eastern District of New YorkAlleged Mexican Drug Kingpin Charged with Leading a Continuing Criminal Enterprise and Other Drug-Related ChargesOfficial statementPrimary source

Last verified: 14 September 2026

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09

2009

2009: new federal indictment in Brooklyn for Juárez cartel leadership and international trafficking

Formally charged

In 2009, the Department of Justice announced a Brooklyn indictment targeting Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, among others, describing him as leader of the Juárez cartel and alleging extensive cocaine trafficking and the use of corruption and violence to preserve control of the organisation.

Attribution
Accused

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    U.S. Department of JusticeTen Alleged Mexican Drug Cartel Leaders Among 43 Defendants Indicted in Brooklyn and ChicagoOfficial statementPrimary source

Last verified: 14 September 2026

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10

2000

2000: US federal indictment on 46 counts including trafficking, money laundering and witness murders

Formally charged

A federal indictment in the Western District of Texas charged Carrillo Fuentes with a continuing criminal enterprise, cocaine and marijuana trafficking, money laundering, witness tampering and several counts relating to murders intended to prevent communications with US law enforcement authorities. A reward of up to 5 million dollars was offered.

Attribution
Accused

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    U.S. Department of StateNarcotics Rewards Program: Vicente Carrillo FuentesOfficial documentPrimary source

Last verified: 14 September 2026

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Case · 5 documented stages

14 September 2021: Mexican sentence of 28 years' imprisonment

Conviction
02

2021-09-14

14 September 2021: Mexican sentence of 28 years' imprisonment

Conviction

A Mexican judge sentenced Vicente Carrillo Fuentes to 28 years' imprisonment for organised crime for the purpose of committing drug-related offences, transactions involving proceeds of unlawful origin and firearms storage.

State of the evidence
Established by a court
Attribution
Accused

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    La JornadaCondenan a 28 años de prisión a Vicente Carrillo FuentesPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 14 September 2026

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04

2016–2017

2016–2017: amparo, renewed proceedings and confirmation of formal detention

Formally charged

In 2016, Carrillo Fuentes obtained an amparo requiring part of the proceedings to be restarted. The judge again ordered formal detention (formal prisión) in April 2017, and that decision was upheld in November.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Accused

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    La JornadaCondenan a 28 años de prisión a Vicente Carrillo FuentesPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 14 September 2026

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05

2014-10–2015

October 2014–2015: Mexican proceedings opened for organised crime, drugs and firearms

Formally charged

Following his arrest, several warrants were executed and proceedings pursued against Carrillo Fuentes for organised crime, drug-related offences and firearms offences. An auto de formal prisión for organised crime was issued in 2015.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Accused

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    La JornadaHoy se determina la situación jurídica de El Viceroy; no quedará libre, dice el CJFPressHigh reliability
  2. [2]
    La JornadaCondenan a 28 años de prisión a Vicente Carrillo FuentesPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 14 September 2026

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06

1997–2014

1997–2014: leadership of Juárez cartel following Amado Carrillo Fuentes's death

Conviction

Following the death of his brother Amado in 1997, Vicente Carrillo Fuentes was identified by Mexican and US authorities as leader of the Juárez cartel, an organisation controlling a major trafficking corridor between Ciudad Juárez and El Paso.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Institutional responsibility

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    U.S. Department of StateNarcotics Rewards Program: Vicente Carrillo FuentesOfficial documentPrimary source
  2. [2]
    La JornadaCae Vicente Carrillo Fuentes; le imputan más de mil asesinatosPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 14 September 2026

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07

2014-10-09

9 October 2014: arrested in Torreón after years as fugitive

Formally charged

Mexican federal police arrested Vicente Carrillo Fuentes in Torreón, Coahuila. Authorities described him as one of their priority criminal targets and as leader of the Juárez cartel.

Attribution
Directly implicated

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    La JornadaCae Vicente Carrillo Fuentes; le imputan más de mil asesinatosPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 14 September 2026

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08

2004–années 2010

2004–2010s: split with Sinaloa and war for Ciudad Juárez corridor

No legal proceedings

US authorities date the breakdown of the alliance between Carrillo Fuentes's Juárez cartel and the Sinaloa cartel to around 2004. The conflict over trafficking routes became one of the principal drivers of violence in the Ciudad Juárez region.

State of the evidence
Allegations

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    U.S. Department of Justice — Eastern District of New YorkAlleged Mexican Drug Kingpin Charged with Leading a Continuing Criminal Enterprise and Other Drug-Related ChargesOfficial statementPrimary source
  2. [2]
    U.S. Department of JusticeTen Alleged Mexican Drug Cartel Leaders Among 43 Defendants Indicted in Brooklyn and ChicagoOfficial statementPrimary source

Last verified: 14 September 2026

Add to this entry

II. Constellation of documented links

  • Linked profile (portrait or initials) — click to open it
  • Line width: number of documented references
  • Hover over or tap a line: controversies and sources

Two profiles are linked when a documented controversy of one names the other. The link points to that controversy and its sources; it does not indicate a personal relationship.

List of documented links (1)
  1. José Antonio Acosta Hernández1 documented reference

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