Amado Carrillo Fuentes
Encyclopedia
Amado Carrillo Fuentes was a Mexican
drug lord
who seized control of the Juárez Cartel
after assassinating his boss Rafael Aguilar Guajardo
. Amado Carrillo became known as "El Señor de Los Cielos" (Lord of the Skies) because of the large fleet of jets he used to transport drugs. He was also known for laundering
over US$
20 million via Colombia
to finance his huge fleet of planes. The U.S.
Drug Enforcement Administration
described Carrillo as the most powerful drug trafficker of his era.
He died in a Mexican hospital after undergoing extensive plastic surgery to change his appearance. In his final days Carrillo was being tracked by Mexican and U.S. authorities. He is regarded as the richest criminal ever by some sources which state his estimated net-worth as US$ 25 billion.
, a/k/a "Don Neto", the Guadalajara Cartel
leader. Amado got his start in the drug business under the tutelage of his uncle Ernesto. Amado later brought in his brothers and eventually his son Vicente José Carrillo Leyva.
Carrillo's father, Vicente Carrilo Vega, died in April 1986; his brother, Cipriano Carillo Fuentes, died in 1989 under mysterious circumstances. On September 11, 2004, rivals of the Juarez Cartel
killed brother Rodolfo Carrillo Fuentes "El Niño de Oro" and his wife Giovanna Quevedo Gastélum.
On October 28, 2008, José Cruz Carrillo Fuentes's mummified body was found, and subsequently stolen from the forensic medical service (Semefo) by an armed group.
, sent to Ojinaga
, Chihuahua to oversee his uncle's cocaine
shipments, and to learn about border operations from Pablo Acosta Villarreal "El Zorro de Ojinaga" (The Ojinaga Fox).
As the top drug trafficker in Mexico, Carrillo was transporting four times more cocaine
to the U.S. than any other trafficker in the world, building a fortune of over US$25 billion. He was called "El Señor de los Cielos" (The Lord of the Skies) for his pioneering use of over 27 private Boeing 727
jet airliners to transport Colombia
n cocaine
to municipal airports and airstrips around Mexico. In the months before his death, Carrillo's business was growing exponentially: his cartel was shipping multi-ton shipments directly into Manhattan
, and million dollar payments to Carrillo were seized at the El Paso
-Ciudad Juárez
border. During that time, Carrillo was frequently travelling in his private jets to Cuba
, Russia
, and other nations in search of a safe haven. He had been hunted by law enforcement since he took over the cartel in April 1993 after the death of Rafael Aguilar Guajardo
.
Credited by anti-drug agents as being one of the most low-key, sophisticated, and diplomatic of Mexico's cartel chiefs
—he even formed joint operating agreements with rival trafficking groups— Carrillo's growing empire and alleged connection to General Jesús Gutiérrez Rebollo
, Mexico's top drug enforcement official, earned him recognition as "the most powerful of Mexico's drug traffickers" by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.
of his abdomen to change his appearance on July 3, 1997 at Santa Mónica Hospital in Mexico City. However, during the eight-hour operation, he apparently died of complications caused either by a medication or a malfunctioning respirator. Two of Carrillo's bodyguards were in the operating room during the procedure. It is unclear whether the lethal dose of the drug Dormicum was administered intentionally or in error, by the surgeon or the bodyguards.
Some fringe theories reported in Mexican newspapers hold that Carrillo's bodyguards smothered him with a pillow; or that the PGR
tortured him to death first, then faked the plastic surgery; or, as was reported in El Financiero, the corpse was really that of Amado's cousin; or, perhaps the most unusual version, reported by respected radio and TV journalist Pedro Ferriz de Con
, was that Carrillo committed suicide, according to an interview where Carillo allegedly said, "If I die, nobody killed me. The only person who can kill Amado Carrillo is Amado Carrillo."
The DEA confirmed the body belonged to Amado Carrillo four days after his alleged death, using fingerprints positively matched to an old U.S. immigration card. Authorities from the PGR
disputed the accuracy of this method, claiming they could not confirm the body as Carrillo's until further toxicological, DNA, and other tests. Finally, on July 11, the PGR announced that the body was that of Carrillo, based on forensic tests including DNA, fingerprints, blood samples, scars, and ear shapes. However, PGR officials were still not sure if the death was caused by homicide
or medical malpractice. As of July 22, 2007 officials were still debating whether it was the Dormicum, accidentally or intentionally administered, or the respirator. The PGR began an investigation, beginning with Carrillo's surgeon, Pedro López Saucedo, to determine the degree of responsibility of Santa Mónica Hospital in the drug lord's death.
, who was already overseeing operations in Juárez. Two other brothers work for the cartel, but DEA authorities said it would be unusual for there to be in-fighting among the organization. U.S. DEA chief Thomas Constantine and Mexican drug enforcement agents said they predicted a bloody battle among rival trafficking groups seeking to expand their own turf. They expected the Juárez Cartel's fiercest challenger to be the rival Tijuana Cartel
, allegedly led by the Arellano Félix brothers. Other major drug traffickers expected to vie for power, included Jesus "Chuy" Amezcua Contreras
and Miguel Caro-Quintero.
On July 1997 U.S. and Mexican officials believed Sinaloa native Juan José Esparragoza "El Azul" Moreno
would emerge as the leader of the Juárez cartel. Esparragoza is known as a diplomatic trafficker with solid connections to Colombian cocaine suppliers. In the weeks following confirmation of Carrillo's death, there were five to a dozen drug-related assassinations in Ciudad Juárez. Intelligence officials say key drug traffickers met in heavily secured, back-room bunkers at Juárez strip clubs to sort out business.
In Juárez, the PGR seized warehouses they believed the cartel used for storage of weapons and cocaine. PGR agents seized over 60 properties all over Mexico that belonged to Carrillo, and begun an investigation into his dealings with the police and government officials.Officials also froze bank accounts amounting to $10 billion dollars belonging to Carrillo. In April 2009, Mexican authorities arrested his son, Vicente Carrillo Leyva.
" by the people, according to a report in the Diario de Juárez. He was known for giving away money, cattle, and presents to hundreds of people, including cars. Amado Carrillo even financed the construction of the village church.
His mansion in Hermosillo
, Sonora
, dubbed "The Palace of a Thousand and One Nights" still sits unoccupied. In 2006, Gov
. Eduardo Bours
asked the federal government to tear it down.
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
drug lord
Drug lord
A drug lord, drug baron or kingpin is the term used to describe a person who controls a sizable network of persons involved in the illegal drugs trade. Such figures are often difficult to bring to justice, as they might never be directly in possession of something illegal, but are insulated from...
who seized control of the Juárez Cartel
Juárez Cartel
The Juárez Cartel , also known as the Vicente Carrillo Fuentes Organization, is a Mexican drug cartel based in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, across the border from El Paso, Texas...
after assassinating his boss Rafael Aguilar Guajardo
Rafael Aguilar Guajardo
Aguilar was a Mexican drug lord and federal police commander of the National Security and Investigation Center in Mexico. Also, he was one of the Juárez Cartel co-founders....
. Amado Carrillo became known as "El Señor de Los Cielos" (Lord of the Skies) because of the large fleet of jets he used to transport drugs. He was also known for laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
over US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
20 million via Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
to finance his huge fleet of planes. The U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Drug Enforcement Administration
Drug Enforcement Administration
The Drug Enforcement Administration is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States...
described Carrillo as the most powerful drug trafficker of his era.
He died in a Mexican hospital after undergoing extensive plastic surgery to change his appearance. In his final days Carrillo was being tracked by Mexican and U.S. authorities. He is regarded as the richest criminal ever by some sources which state his estimated net-worth as US$ 25 billion.
Family relations and alliances
Carrillo was born to Vicente Carrillo and Aurora Fuentes in Guamuchilito, Navolato Sinaloa. He was the first of six sons: Amado, Cipriano, Vicente, José Cruz, Alberto, and Rodolfo. He also had five sisters: María Luisa, Berthila, Flor, Alicia and Aurora. These children were the nieces and nephews of Ernesto Fonseca CarrilloErnesto Fonseca Carrillo
Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo is a former Mexican narcotics trafficker, operating as leader of the Guadalajara Cartel alongside Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo and Rafael Caro Quintero...
, a/k/a "Don Neto", the Guadalajara Cartel
Guadalajara Cartel
The Guadalajara Cartel was a Mexican drug cartel which was formed in the 1980s by Rafael Caro Quintero, Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo and Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo in order to ship heroin and marijuana to the United States...
leader. Amado got his start in the drug business under the tutelage of his uncle Ernesto. Amado later brought in his brothers and eventually his son Vicente José Carrillo Leyva.
Carrillo's father, Vicente Carrilo Vega, died in April 1986; his brother, Cipriano Carillo Fuentes, died in 1989 under mysterious circumstances. On September 11, 2004, rivals of the Juarez Cartel
Juárez Cartel
The Juárez Cartel , also known as the Vicente Carrillo Fuentes Organization, is a Mexican drug cartel based in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, across the border from El Paso, Texas...
killed brother Rodolfo Carrillo Fuentes "El Niño de Oro" and his wife Giovanna Quevedo Gastélum.
On October 28, 2008, José Cruz Carrillo Fuentes's mummified body was found, and subsequently stolen from the forensic medical service (Semefo) by an armed group.
Career
Carrillo was believed to be a part of the Guadalajara CartelGuadalajara Cartel
The Guadalajara Cartel was a Mexican drug cartel which was formed in the 1980s by Rafael Caro Quintero, Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo and Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo in order to ship heroin and marijuana to the United States...
, sent to Ojinaga
Ojinaga
Ojinaga Municipality is one of the 67 municipalities of Chihuahua, in northern Mexico. The municipal seat lies at Ojinaga, a rural bordertown on the U.S.-Mexico border...
, Chihuahua to oversee his uncle's cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
shipments, and to learn about border operations from Pablo Acosta Villarreal "El Zorro de Ojinaga" (The Ojinaga Fox).
As the top drug trafficker in Mexico, Carrillo was transporting four times more cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
to the U.S. than any other trafficker in the world, building a fortune of over US$25 billion. He was called "El Señor de los Cielos" (The Lord of the Skies) for his pioneering use of over 27 private Boeing 727
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
jet airliners to transport Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
to municipal airports and airstrips around Mexico. In the months before his death, Carrillo's business was growing exponentially: his cartel was shipping multi-ton shipments directly into Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, and million dollar payments to Carrillo were seized at the El Paso
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
-Ciudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez , officially known today as Heroica Ciudad Juárez, but abbreviated Juárez and formerly known as El Paso del Norte, is a city and seat of the municipality of Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Juárez's estimated population is 1.5 million people. The city lies on the Rio Grande...
border. During that time, Carrillo was frequently travelling in his private jets to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, and other nations in search of a safe haven. He had been hunted by law enforcement since he took over the cartel in April 1993 after the death of Rafael Aguilar Guajardo
Rafael Aguilar Guajardo
Aguilar was a Mexican drug lord and federal police commander of the National Security and Investigation Center in Mexico. Also, he was one of the Juárez Cartel co-founders....
.
Credited by anti-drug agents as being one of the most low-key, sophisticated, and diplomatic of Mexico's cartel chiefs
Drug lord
A drug lord, drug baron or kingpin is the term used to describe a person who controls a sizable network of persons involved in the illegal drugs trade. Such figures are often difficult to bring to justice, as they might never be directly in possession of something illegal, but are insulated from...
—he even formed joint operating agreements with rival trafficking groups— Carrillo's growing empire and alleged connection to General Jesús Gutiérrez Rebollo
Jesús Gutiérrez Rebollo
José de Jesús Gutiérrez Rebollo is a Mexican criminal and former Division General of the Mexican Army. He was sentenced to 31 years in prison on multiple charges, including organised crime.- Biography :...
, Mexico's top drug enforcement official, earned him recognition as "the most powerful of Mexico's drug traffickers" by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.
Death and conspiracy theories
The pressure to capture Carrillo intensified among U.S. and Mexican authorities, and perhaps for this reason, Carrillo underwent facial plastic surgery and liposuctionLiposuction
Liposuction, also known as lipoplasty , liposculpture suction lipectomy or simply lipo is a cosmetic surgery operation that removes fat from many different sites on the human body...
of his abdomen to change his appearance on July 3, 1997 at Santa Mónica Hospital in Mexico City. However, during the eight-hour operation, he apparently died of complications caused either by a medication or a malfunctioning respirator. Two of Carrillo's bodyguards were in the operating room during the procedure. It is unclear whether the lethal dose of the drug Dormicum was administered intentionally or in error, by the surgeon or the bodyguards.
Some fringe theories reported in Mexican newspapers hold that Carrillo's bodyguards smothered him with a pillow; or that the PGR
Attorney General (Mexico)
The Attorney General of Mexico is the head of the Office of the General Prosecutor and the Federal Public Ministry , an institution belonging to the Federal executive branch that is responsible for the investigation and prosecution of...
tortured him to death first, then faked the plastic surgery; or, as was reported in El Financiero, the corpse was really that of Amado's cousin; or, perhaps the most unusual version, reported by respected radio and TV journalist Pedro Ferriz de Con
Pedro Ferríz de Con
Pedro Ferriz de Con is a Mexican radio and TV news anchor. During the 1990s, he worked for the Multivision Network. In January 2000 he switched to Imagen Informativa radio network, in which he has partial ownership...
, was that Carrillo committed suicide, according to an interview where Carillo allegedly said, "If I die, nobody killed me. The only person who can kill Amado Carrillo is Amado Carrillo."
The DEA confirmed the body belonged to Amado Carrillo four days after his alleged death, using fingerprints positively matched to an old U.S. immigration card. Authorities from the PGR
Attorney General (Mexico)
The Attorney General of Mexico is the head of the Office of the General Prosecutor and the Federal Public Ministry , an institution belonging to the Federal executive branch that is responsible for the investigation and prosecution of...
disputed the accuracy of this method, claiming they could not confirm the body as Carrillo's until further toxicological, DNA, and other tests. Finally, on July 11, the PGR announced that the body was that of Carrillo, based on forensic tests including DNA, fingerprints, blood samples, scars, and ear shapes. However, PGR officials were still not sure if the death was caused by homicide
Homicide
Homicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
or medical malpractice. As of July 22, 2007 officials were still debating whether it was the Dormicum, accidentally or intentionally administered, or the respirator. The PGR began an investigation, beginning with Carrillo's surgeon, Pedro López Saucedo, to determine the degree of responsibility of Santa Mónica Hospital in the drug lord's death.
Juárez cartel after Carrillo
After Carrillo's death, it was assumed that control of the cartel would fall to Amado's brother Vicente Carrillo FuentesVicente Carrillo Fuentes
Vicente Carrillo Fuentes is a Mexican drug lord who heads the Juárez Cartel in Mexico, which controls one of the primary transportation routes for billions of dollars worth of illegal drug shipments entering the United States from Mexico annually.Carrillo Fuentes is currently at large and is...
, who was already overseeing operations in Juárez. Two other brothers work for the cartel, but DEA authorities said it would be unusual for there to be in-fighting among the organization. U.S. DEA chief Thomas Constantine and Mexican drug enforcement agents said they predicted a bloody battle among rival trafficking groups seeking to expand their own turf. They expected the Juárez Cartel's fiercest challenger to be the rival Tijuana Cartel
Tijuana Cartel
The Tijuana Cartel is a Mexican drug cartel based in Tijuana. The cartel has been described as "one of the biggest and most violent criminal groups in Mexico"...
, allegedly led by the Arellano Félix brothers. Other major drug traffickers expected to vie for power, included Jesus "Chuy" Amezcua Contreras
Jesús Amezcua Contreras
José de Jesús Amezcua Contreras, along with his brothers Adán and Luis, were the leaders of the Colima Cartel, a Mexican methamphetamine and meth-precursor smuggling organization....
and Miguel Caro-Quintero.
On July 1997 U.S. and Mexican officials believed Sinaloa native Juan José Esparragoza "El Azul" Moreno
Juan José Esparragoza Moreno
Juan José Esparragoza Moreno a.k.a: El Azul , is a former Mexican Federal Judicial Police officer turned drug trafficker. Esparragoza was born in Huichiopa, in the Mexican state of Sinaloa...
would emerge as the leader of the Juárez cartel. Esparragoza is known as a diplomatic trafficker with solid connections to Colombian cocaine suppliers. In the weeks following confirmation of Carrillo's death, there were five to a dozen drug-related assassinations in Ciudad Juárez. Intelligence officials say key drug traffickers met in heavily secured, back-room bunkers at Juárez strip clubs to sort out business.
In Juárez, the PGR seized warehouses they believed the cartel used for storage of weapons and cocaine. PGR agents seized over 60 properties all over Mexico that belonged to Carrillo, and begun an investigation into his dealings with the police and government officials.Officials also froze bank accounts amounting to $10 billion dollars belonging to Carrillo. In April 2009, Mexican authorities arrested his son, Vicente Carrillo Leyva.
Funeral
Carrillo was given a large and expensive funeral in Guamuchilito, Sinaloa, where he was revered as a kind of "Robin HoodRobin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
" by the people, according to a report in the Diario de Juárez. He was known for giving away money, cattle, and presents to hundreds of people, including cars. Amado Carrillo even financed the construction of the village church.
His mansion in Hermosillo
Hermosillo
Hermosillo is a city and municipality located centrally in the northwestern Mexican state of Sonora. It is the capital and main economic center for the state and region. It contains almost all of the state's manufacturing and has thirty percent of its population...
, Sonora
Sonora
Sonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....
, dubbed "The Palace of a Thousand and One Nights" still sits unoccupied. In 2006, Gov
Governor of Sonora
List of governors of Sonora since 1917:*2009–2015 Guillermo Padrés Elías*2003–2009 Eduardo Bours Castelo*1997–2003 Armando López Nogales*1991–1997 Manlio Fabio Beltrones Rivera*1991–1991 Mario Morúa Johnson...
. Eduardo Bours
Eduardo Bours
José Eduardo Robinson Bours Castelo is a Mexican businessman who served as Governor of Sonora under the Institutional Revolutionary Party, PRI. He is a member of the illustrious Robinson Bours family which immigrated from the United States in the 19th century...
asked the federal government to tear it down.
See also
- Vicente Carrillo FuentesVicente Carrillo FuentesVicente Carrillo Fuentes is a Mexican drug lord who heads the Juárez Cartel in Mexico, which controls one of the primary transportation routes for billions of dollars worth of illegal drug shipments entering the United States from Mexico annually.Carrillo Fuentes is currently at large and is...
- Mexican Drug WarMexican Drug WarThe Mexican Drug War is an ongoing armed conflict taking place among rival drug cartels who fight each other for regional control, and Mexican government forces who seek to combat drug trafficking. However, the government's principal goal has been to put down the drug-related violence that was...
- Mérida InitiativeMérida InitiativeThe Mérida Initiative is a security cooperation agreement between the United States and the government of Mexico and the countries of Central America, with the declared aim of combating the threats of drug trafficking, transnational organized crime and money laundering...