A federal judge sentenced Sergio Enrique Ruiz Tlapanco, alias “El Tlapa” or “Z-44,” to 29 years and nine months in prison for organized crime, specifically drug trafficking and possession of a firearm restricted to the Armed Forces. The sentence, obtained by the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) on July 27, 2026, also includes a fine of 692,857 pesos for the man identified by authorities as a founding member of Los Zetas.
Ruiz Tlapanco, a former soldier and former Federal Judicial Police officer, was arrested by the Army in September 2009 in the city of Puebla. He is currently serving his sentence at the Federal Social Rehabilitation Center (Cefereso) Number 4 “Northwest,” in Tepic, Nayarit. The Attorney General’s Office (FGR) presented the evidence that led to the guilty verdict following a trial conducted by its specialized organized crime unit.
The Federal Public Prosecutor assigned to the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime (FEMDO) was responsible for the investigative work that resulted in the sentence.
After a series of legal proceedings, FEMDO secured a conviction, imposing not only a prison sentence but also a fine of nearly 700,000 pesos on the convicted individual. The FGR stated that the evidence presented was “sufficient and conclusive” to prove Ruiz Tlapanco’s criminal responsibility for both charges.
