‘El Changuito’: From key operator of ‘Mayito Flaco’ to the imminent extinction of Los Ántrax

“I know it’s not easy to be in what I’m in. I have the support of boss Mayito Flaco, yes sir, for Zambada, we work tirelessly. That’s where Los Ántrax are, and I’m the one in charge. The Lord of the Sombrero gave me the helm of the ship, yes sir, I’m 06, they nicknamed me Changuito,” presents a narcocorrido performed by Grupo Feroz, Rafael Guadalupe Félix Núñez, who has established himself as one of Los Mayos’ most prominent operators in recent years.

Better known as El Changuito Ántrax, this character’s criminal career has led him to be featured not only in songs but also in rumors about his alleged arrest and death. This happened last Saturday, September 20, when various local media outlets reported his death after allegedly trying to flee from an operation deployed by the Ministry of the Navy (Semar) in the Quilá municipality of Culiacán.

While no authority has confirmed the death of Rafael Guadalupe Félix Núñez, the public interest this ally of Los Mayos has sparked is linked to the operational role he plays for the faction, as well as his longstanding membership, having been identified as one of the last original members of Los Ántrax, a violent and media-driven armed group that served Ismael El Mayo Zambada since at least 2008.
While the Sinaloa Cartel was engaged in a bloody and bloody feud with the Beltrán Leyva brothers, a dangerous virus began to infect a group of young people who were convinced to put their lives and skills at the service of the Zambada family. Not only in Sinaloa but throughout the rest of Mexico, they saw them emerge as Los Ántrax.

At the head of this Los Mayos group was José Rodrigo Aréchiga Gamboa, who, according to reports from the specialized media outlet Borderland Beat, joined the ranks of the Sinaloa Cartel due to his close ties to Ismael Zambada Imperial, alias El Mayito Gordo, one of the sons of the criminal organization’s co-founder.

Also known as Chino Ántrax, he rose through the criminal organization as head of security for the Zambada family, allowing him to recruit other gunmen to join the armed wing. Prominent among its members were Francisco Arce Rubio (Pancho Arce), Jesús Peña González (El 20), René Valenzuela (Sergeant Phoenix), and Rafael Guadalupe Félix Núñez (El Changuito).