"El Carrete" gets 105 more years in prison for organized crime and kidnapping

A former leader of the "Los Rojos" criminal group, Santiago Mazari Hernández, also known as "El Carrete" or "Señor de Los Caballos," has been handed a new prison sentence of 105 years. A federal judge imposed the penalty after the Attorney General's Office of Mexico (FGR) presented sufficient evidence of his involvement in organized crime and kidnapping.

The sentence also includes reparations for damages, suspension of civil and political rights, and a reprimand. This latest penalty adds to a previous 20-year sentence Mazari Hernández received in 2020 for organized crime linked to cocaine trafficking.

According to the FGR, "El Carrete" led the "Los Rojos" or "Independent Cartel" between 2012 and 2013. The group was involved in organized crime, kidnapping, and drug trafficking in the state of Morelos. During this period, they also engaged in territorial disputes with the rival "Guerreros Unidos" group, which has been linked to the disappearance of 43 students in Ayotzinapa.