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Two Mexican Cartel Leaders Posing as Vigilantes Face Terror Charges

Two senior Mexican cartel members face U.S. terrorism and drug trafficking charges while remaining at large in Mexico under protection of Carteles Unidos.

Eleni Papadaki-Van Der Merwe Staff Writer

JULY 3, 2026 AT 9:56 PM

A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. this week issued an indictment against Juan Jose “Juanjo” Farias Mendoza, 31, and his cousin Israel “Papo” Vega Farias, 37, according to Breitbart News. Farias Mendoza is the son of cartel kingpin Juan Jose “El Abuelo” Farias Alvarez, while Vega Farias is his nephew. El Abuelo Farias currently commands Carteles Unidos, one of Mexico’s most powerful criminal organizations with a documented history of terrorist attacks involving explosives, mass executions, and lethal violence against civilians.

The cartel boss has successfully disguised his operations by presenting himself as the leader of a self-defense militia and community police force in the town of Tepalcatepec, as Breitbart News reports. Despite previous arrests by Mexican federal authorities, El Abuelo was released by a federal judge under circumstances that raised serious questions. He and his forces now operate throughout Michoacan and beyond with minimal interference from Mexican law enforcement.

The three-count indictment charges both men with conspiracy to traffic narcotics and providing material support to a terrorist organization. The terrorism-related charge stems from the formal designation by Washington of six Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.

The U.S. Department of Justice has identified Carteles Unidos as among the largest methamphetamine producers operating in Mexico. The organization has established distribution networks across multiple American cities including Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Kansas City, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Denver, and Chicago. Breitbart News has independently verified that the cartel also maintains operational presence in South Texas, specifically in Hidalgo and Cameron counties.

Both indicted cartel operatives are believed to remain in Mexico, where they continue to benefit from the protection of Carteles Unidos. The indictments represent part of broader U.S. efforts to target cartel leadership structures that exploit legal and political vulnerabilities on both sides of the border.

With information from Breitbart News

Eleni Papadaki-Van Der Merwe

She was born in 1986 in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is the granddaughter of an immigrant from Crete who settled in the Greek community of Johannesburg (one of the largest in Africa). She holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Political Science from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in Johannesburg and a master’s degree in Journalism from Rhodes University in Grahamstown. She began her career at English-language media outlets in Johannesburg, covering politics and economics, with a focus on issues related to migration and the diaspora. She moved to Athens in 2015 to “return to her roots,” initially to pursue graduate studies, and has remained there permanently. She is married to an Afrikaner; they have two children and live in the southern suburbs of Athens.