$15 Million for the Last 2: After ‘Kamoni’ Falls, Only ‘El Abuelo’ Farías and ‘El Gordo’ Sierra Santana Remain of 5 Cárteles Unidos Bosses the U.S. Charged
Of the five Cárteles Unidos bosses the U.S. Justice Department charged in August 2025, only two are still free: Juan José Farías Álvarez, “El Abuelo,” of Tepalcatepec, Michoacán, and Nicolás Sierra Santana, “El Gordo,” leader of Los Viagras. Washington is offering up to $15 million for the pair, Infobae reported on Sept. 28, 2026, days after Mexican troops captured Edgar Orozco Cabadas, “El Kamoni.” The U.S. case against the group began with a methamphetamine seizure near Knoxville, Tennessee.
Five charged, three down
On Aug. 14, 2025, the Justice Department charged Farías Álvarez, Alfonso Fernández Magallón (“Poncho”), Luis Enrique Barragán Chávez (“Wicho/R5”), Orozco Cabadas and Sierra Santana with drug-trafficking conspiracies. At the time, all five were fugitives. The State Department offered up to $10 million for Farías Álvarez, $5 million each for Fernández Magallón and Sierra Santana, and $3 million each for the other two. According to Infobae, “Poncho” was arrested in Michoacán on Aug. 1, 2026. “Wicho” died in a clash with soldiers on Aug. 30. “Kamoni” was captured on Sept. 23.
Who is ‘El Abuelo’
Prosecutors call Farías Álvarez, born Aug. 10, 1970, the top leader of Cárteles Unidos. They say he directs cocaine imports from Colombia by air and sea and taxes meth and fentanyl producers in his territory. The State Department says he was indicted in Washington, D.C., in January 2024. The Justice Department says the investigation grew from a small-town seizure outside Knoxville and a bust of more than 950 kilograms of meth and fentanyl outside Atlanta. On July 1, 2026, a D.C. grand jury also indicted his son, Juan José “Juanjo” Farías Mendoza, and his nephew, Israel “Papo” Vega Farías.
Infobae notes that Farías rose to public view as a 2013 self-defense (autodefensa) leader against the Knights Templar. The Navy arrested him in 2018, but he was released days later. In 2014 he denied being a kingpin, saying: “No soy un capo, si acaso un capón.”
Who is ‘El Gordo’
The Justice Department says Los Viagras, led by Sierra Santana, operated under the Cárteles Unidos umbrella until recently. Infobae reports he is 49 and was born in Huetamo. He took over after his brother Carlos, the group’s founder, died in 2017. Michoacán prosecutors also want him on a 2017 aggravated-kidnapping warrant, and offer a 100,000-peso reward.
None of the men has been convicted in the U.S. cases. They are presumed innocent.
Sources
- Infobae, “La cacería contra líderes de Cárteles Unidos se reduce a dos prófugos,” Sept. 28, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Justice, “Justice Department Charges Five Senior Leaders of the United Cartels,” Aug. 14, 2025.
- U.S. Department of Justice, “Two High Ranking Members of the United Cartels Charged,” July 2, 2026.
- U.S. Department of State, Narcotics Rewards Program: Juan José Farías Álvarez and Nicolás Sierra Santana.
- Photos: U.S. Department of State reward posters and Juan José Estrada Serafín/Cuartoscuro, via Infobae, Sept. 28, 2026.
Reported Sept. 28, 2026, from the U.S. government documents and Infobae report above. The Narco Blog has not reviewed the indictments or independently confirmed the Aug. 2026 arrest and death Infobae reported. All charges are allegations, not court findings.