Relatives of cartel leader arrested in Mexico
A joint operation by Mexico’s Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, the Attorney General’s Office, the Navy, and the National Guard resulted in the detention of family members of Carlos Alberto Páez Pereda, alias ‘Carlitos Rugrats’, a priority target for Mexico and the US.
According to the Security Cabinet, those arrested include Leslie Dennise Pereda García and Aglaee Ramírez Páez, identified as cousins of ‘Carlitos Rugrats’ and presumed logistical operators of the criminal organization.
Operation Details
The operation also led to the arrest of Claudia Selene García Ontiveros and Francisco Javier Ramírez Agüero, identified as Páez Pereda’s aunt and uncle, respectively. Others detained include Carlota Murillo Avendaño, María Alejandrina Páez Sainz, and Ana Cristina Ramírez Páez.
As a result of the operation, authorities reported the seizure of three long guns, one short gun, magazines, and cartridges. Additionally, two packages of cocaine, narcotic doses, cash, and various vehicles were confiscated, including three cars, a Razer all-terrain vehicle, and a motorcycle.
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Investigation and Background
The Security Cabinet explained that the intervention took place in the Laguna Colorada area of Culiacán as part of an investigation into a violent criminal cell in the region. The operation was carried out based on intelligence work and investigation, with information from the National Intelligence Center.
Los Rugrats are identified by US authorities as an armed cell of the Sinaloa Cartel linked to La Mayiza, a faction associated with Ismael Zambada Sicairos, alias ‘El Mayito Flaco’, son of Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada. The US Department of Justice announced on July 7, 2026, that it had filed formal charges against Páez Pereda for alleged narcoterrorism, material support for terrorism, and drug-related crimes.
The US accusation alleges that the organization is involved in the production and distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, as well as providing armed support to La Mayiza’s operations in Sinaloa and Tijuana, Baja California.
Páez Pereda was previously sanctioned by the US Department of the Treasury in September 2025 for his alleged links to narcotics trafficking and La Mayiza. In July 2025, authorities in the Dominican Republic announced that they were seeking four presumed members of Los Rugrats, including Páez Pereda, for alleged crimes related to narcotics trafficking, money laundering, and homicide in the Dominican Republic.
