The Department of Justice announced Tuesday that they’d unsealed an indictment for a notorious, brazen cartel leader living the high life right amongst us — in sunny San Diego, to be exact.
His name is Carlos Paez Pereda, and he’s allegedly the leader of a wing of the Sinaloa cartel known as “Los Rugrats.”
He also likes guns, cash, and shiny things. Those aren’t crimes, but the criminal behavior that paid for them certainly are, because the drugs the gangs flood into the U.S. kill tens of thousands of people a year. In fact, more people die annually in the U.S. from fentanyl overdoses than they do from firearms injuries or car crashes.
Looks like his antics will come to an abrupt halt, courtesy of the feds:
Today, @SDCAnews announced the unsealing of an indictment charging Carlos Paez Pereda, aka “Carlitos,” aka “Carlitos Rugrats,” an alleged high-ranking lieutenant and leader of a violent wing of the Sinaloa Cartel called “Los Rugrats,” with Narcoterrorism and Material Support of… pic.twitter.com/ZFLUT5YXsa
— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) July 7, 2026
Today, @SDCAnews announced the unsealing of an indictment charging Carlos Paez Pereda, aka “Carlitos,” aka “Carlitos Rugrats,” an alleged high-ranking lieutenant and leader of a violent wing of the Sinaloa Cartel called “Los Rugrats,” with Narcoterrorism and Material Support of Terrorism in connection with trafficking massive amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine into the U.S.
The indictment is a direct result of @POTUS Trump’s Executive Order 14157 which designated the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
As the DOJ noted, Trump’s executive order, “Designating Cartels And Other Organizations As Foreign Terrorist Organizations And Specially Designated Global Terrorists,” has greatly enhanced law enforcement’s ability to crack down on the murderous groups that bring mayhem into our country. He signed it on his first day in office (of his second term) on January 20, 2025.
In fact, the EO made it possible for the relatives of slain Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique Camarena to file suit against his alleged killers in May. He was murdered in February 1985 in a case that still haunts the DEA.
Relatives of slain Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena filed a lawsuit against the Sinaloa Cartel and three of its kingpins on Thursday – a move only made possible after President Trump clamped down on the murderous drug trafficking group.
The lawsuit filed in California federal court by Camarena’s widow, children, and siblings seeks to hold gangbangers Rafael Caro Quintero, Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo, Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo and the Sinaloa Cartel, which Trump designated a foreign terrorism organization in January, responsible for the DEA agents 1985 torture and murder.
Quintero is in U.S. custody following extradition, while Carrillo and Gallardo are still in Mexico.
MORE: Hegseth Warns Cartels: TdA Boss Got the ISIS Treatment—You're Next
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Now that the indictment has been unsealed, “Carlitos” better watch his six because the FBI is coming for him:
Carlos Alberto Paez Pereda is #wanted by the #FBI for allegedly trafficking large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine into the United States from Mexico as a high-ranking lieutenant and leader of a violent wing of the Sinaloa Cartel called “Los Rugrats":… pic.twitter.com/jwoNZEPxYA
— FBI Most Wanted (@FBIMostWanted) July 9, 2026
Cartels and their poisonous wares have bedeviled the United States and the Golden State for far too long. As a colleague of mine said, “I'm starting to wonder if there's anything at all in California that's not controlled fully by transnational criminal gangs.” The Trump administration is right to change up the game and take the fight straight to them instead of just being reactive.
Carlitos’ California dream looks like it’s going to end very shortly.
Editor’s Note: The American people overwhelmingly support President Trump’s law and order agenda.
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