The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Department of State and the Department of Justice announced the unsealing of a superseding indictment and the implementation of a $5 million reward offer for a high-ranking Sinaloa Cartel-linked drug trafficker.
Juan José Ponce Félix, also known as “El Ruso,” is said by officials to be the leader of “Los Rusos,” a drug trafficking group that controls the Mexicali corridor. It is a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel that is loyal to its co-leader, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia, who pleaded guilty to drug trafficking-related charges in a Federal District Court in Brooklyn last month.
“El Mayo” helped start the Sinaloa Cartel with Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán and together, the two built the cartel into one of the world’s largest drug trafficking networks – one responsible for the import of tons of cocaine, heroin and other drugs into the U.S. and used mass murder and political corruption to stay in power.
Ponce Félix’s organization, meanwhile, is believed to be responsible for the distribution of millions of dollars’ worth of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin from Mexico into the U.S., the DEA said in a news release. Additionally, federal authorities say that the split between “Los Rusos” and another splinter faction of the Sinaloa Cartel – known as “Chapitos” — has resulted in increased cartel violence in Mexico.
“Ponce Felix’s organization directly manages the distribution of millions of dollars’ worth of narcotics, particularly cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin, from Mexico to the U.S., as well as the sending of proceeds from the sale of these drugs back to Mexico,” the DEA alleges. “The government further alleges Ponce Félix is involved in firearms trafficking among other crimes to maintain his power and control over this territory along the United States-Mexico border.”
It is further alleged that, in order to stay in power and maintain his drug distribution empire, Ponce Félix paid bribes in excess of $1 million per month to various members of the government, police force and Mexican military.
An FBI wanted poster for “El Ruso” states he was indicted in October 2015 in the U.S. District Court of Los Angeles for a long list of crimes, and an arrest warrant was issued shortly after. Per the FBI, he is believed to be in the Mexicali area and also has ties to Sinaloa, Mexico, as well as parts of California and Oregon.
“Juan José Ponce Félix represents a ruthless and violent faction of the Sinaloa Cartel responsible for devastating families by fueling the drug crisis throughout the United States,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “For years, Ponce Félix has resorted to kidnapping, torture, and murder to maintain his grip on power.”
“Ponce Félix and his brigade of drug criminals have been terrorizing communities, both in Mexico and the United States, for far too long,” said Brian M. Clark, special agent in charge of the DEA’s Los Angeles Field Division. “Undeterred, this Sinaloa Cartel faction continues to unleash its poison into our communities and around the globe. Nonetheless, our dedicated and skilled agents remain steadfast, working in tandem with our partners to ensure ‘El Ruso’ ends up behind bars.”
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Juan José Ponce Félix — who also uses the name Jesús Alejandro Sánchez-Félix, among other names — is asked to send information to [email protected].
You can also contact +52 55 2312 3768 through +WhatsApp or Signal.
All identities are kept strictly confidential.
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