The Fall of “El Flaquito” Leaves “El Ingeniero” and “La Jefa” as the Last Leaders of the Arellano Félix Cartel

Little remains of the power and renown that the Tijuana Cartel accumulated in the 1990s. During the early hours of Tuesday, June 16, officers from the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime (FEMDO) executed an arrest warrant against Pablo Edwin Huerta Nuño.

El Flaquito—as he was better known—was identified as one of the most notorious leaders of the Arellano Félix Cartel in recent years. His fall not only constitutes a severe blow to the remnants of the organization but also places Enedina Arellano Félix and Luis Fernando Sánchez Arellano as its last major leaders.

In April, the press gained access to a list from the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) containing the names of organized crime members with outstanding extradition orders to the United States. While 18 of the 29 wanted are already detained in Mexico, 11 remain at large, including the remaining leaders of the Arellano Félix Cartel.

La Jefa and El Ingeniero, as Enedina Arellano and her son Luis Fernando are better known in the country’s underworld, have an extensive criminal history that has put them on the radar of authorities on both sides of the border. However, as of this writing, the remnants of what was once the powerful Tijuana Cartel continue to operate in the shadows.