Mexican Authorities Target the Network of U.S.-Indicted “Carlitos Rugrats”

Mexico’s Security Cabinet announced on October 15 that federal authorities had arrested seven people in Sinaloa whom officials described as linked to a criminal cell responsible for generating violence. Media reports identified four of those arrested as relatives of Carlos Alberto Páez Pereda, a.k.a. “Carlitos Rugrats.”

Carlos Páez Pereda, a.k.a. “Carlitos” or “Carlitos Rugrats,” was born on September 27, 1995, and is a high-ranking lieutenant within the Mayito Flaco faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. His armed wing, Los Rugrats, was linked to the January 6, 2025, assassination of Juan Luis Castro Morales, a former commander and chief of sicarios for Los Chapitos, amid the conflict between the two factions.

On July 7, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California indicted Carlitos on charges of narcoterrorism and providing material support to terrorism for his alleged role in trafficking large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine into the United States.

 

On October 13, Mexican authorities detained José Luis Ojeda Aguirre, a.k.a. “El Wicho,” in Villa Unión, Mazatlán. According to Mexico’s Defense Ministry, he was a financial and logistical operator for Los Rugrats who worked under Carlitos’ direct orders.

 

Two days later, federal authorities carried out five searches in Los Becos, Laguna Colorada, and Costa Rica, in the municipality of Culiacán. Authorities described the properties as meeting points, operational coordination centers, locations used to shelter members, and logistical support sites for illicit activities. They reported seizing firearms and ammunition, cocaine and other drugs, cash, electronic devices, and several vehicles, including a Razer off-road vehicle and a motorcycle.

 

Two women among the seven detainees were described by authorities as logistical operators. However, the official statement did not identify the criminal cell or name the detainees.

 

The operation also prompted a public confrontation after residents alleged rights violations and theft during the searches. Representatives of Sinaloa’s State Human Rights Commission visited the community to hear residents’ concerns.

 

The operation targeted individuals allegedly connected to Carlitos Rugrats and the cell’s logistical network. However, the available information does not establish that Carlitos himself was arrested or that Los Rugrats has been dismantled. Given the group’s alleged role in drug trafficking, the arrests may disrupt parts of its support network, but the broader operational impact remains unclear.

 

Combined with recent OFAC sanctions targeting the Mayito Flaco faction and the arrest of high-ranking drug trafficker José Ángel Rivera Zazueta, these developments suggest increasing pressure on the faction and its criminal networks. They may also reflect broader U.S. efforts to encourage Mexican authorities to target individuals linked to Mayito Flaco.

 

Sources: aristeguinoticias.com – gob.mx – noroeste 

 

Source: https://www.borderlandbeat.com/2026/10/mexican-authorities-target-network-of.html