"La Quiringua," alleged leader of Los Reyes cartel, arrested in Mexico

Alfonso Fernández Magallón, alias "Poncho La Quiringua," has been apprehended by the Mexican Army in Michoacán, where he is considered the current leader of the Los Reyes cartel, a faction within the Cárteles Unidos.

The U.S. government had been tracking Fernández Magallón, offering a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture. He was a known associate of Luis Enrique Barragán Chávez, also known as "R5" or "Wuicho," another high-priority target for U.S. security agencies. Investigations by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) revealed that "La Quiringua" had been involved in trafficking cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine to the United States for decades, collaborating with allies in Cárteles Unidos led by Juan José Farías Álvarez, also known as "El Abuelo."

According to HSI, Fernández Magallón controlled landing strips used by aircraft transporting cocaine from Colombia to Michoacán. He also allegedly recruited Colombian mercenaries skilled in explosives and drones to combat the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), with whom the Los Reyes cartel disputes control over several municipalities in Michoacán. The U.S. Department of State designated Cárteles Unidos as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) in February.

Fernández Magallón is also wanted by a court in Washington D.C. for drug conspiracy and firearms offenses dating back to July 2023. This indictment became public around the same time the U.S. Treasury announced sanctions against Cárteles Unidos leaders and the reward for "La Quiringua." The U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, celebrated the arrest, stating that "criminals have nowhere to hide."

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the criminals have nowhere to hide