Who were the Arellano Félix?

The Arellano Félix organization, infamously known as the Tijuana Cartel, was a powerful drug trafficking entity that originated in Sinaloa, Mexico. Founded by brothers Ramón and Benjamín Arellano Félix, the group initially focused on smuggling electronic goods in the late 1980s.

Their operations shifted dramatically towards drug transportation, primarily marijuana and heroin, to the United States. After forging connections with the Guadalajara Cartel, the Arellano Félix brothers established a significant presence in Tijuana, building a network of corruption with local police. They successfully expanded their reach, controlling drug routes into California and distributing cocaine across several U.S. states, including Arizona, Illinois, Florida, New Jersey, and New York.

The cartel's power peaked in the 1990s and early 2000s, with its primary base of operations in Tijuana. The organization's history is marked by violent territorial disputes and internal conflicts. In 1989, Ramón Arellano Félix reportedly assassinated a close associate of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán. A notorious incident in 1993 saw armed men, allegedly sent by the Arellano Félix brothers to intercept El Chapo, mistakenly kill Cardinal Juan Jesús Posadas Ocampo.

The downfall of the cartel's leadership began with the arrests and deaths of its key members. Francisco Rafael Arellano Félix was arrested in 1993 and later extradited to the U.S. Ramón Arellano Félix was killed in 2002 during a confrontation in Mazatlán. Benjamín Arellano Félix, considered the principal leader, was apprehended in 2002 and extradited to the U.S. in 2011, receiving a 25-year sentence. Francisco Javier Arellano Félix, known as "El Tigrillo," was captured by the U.S. Coast Guard in 2006 and sentenced to 25 years in prison.