
The person at the center of this case
Carlos Alberto Paez Pereda (Fugitive/Subject)
Justice for Carlos Alberto Paez Pereda (Fugitive/Subject) — the trail went cold in 2026, but the truth hasn't.
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What is Paez Pereda's current location and how is he evading capture across Mexico and the U.S. border?
What specific drug trafficking routes and transportation networks does Paez Pereda control between Sinaloa, Tijuana, and California?
How many armed fighters and hitmen operate under Paez Pereda's command within the Los Rugrats faction?
Carlos Alberto Paez Pereda, a high-ranking lieutenant of the Sinaloa Cartel's violent "Los Rugrats" faction, is wanted for trafficking massive quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine from Mexico into the United States while enforcing cartel operations through murder and kidnapping. A federal arrest warrant was issued on March 27, 2026, by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California on charges including narcoterrorism and money laundering conspiracy. He remains at large and is considered armed and dangerous, with ongoing investigation into his drug trafficking network and violent enforcement activities.
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Beyond the top three above — each detail below could be the thread that pulls this case open.
Who are the key distributors and money launderers in the Southern District of California receiving drugs from Paez Pereda's network?
Can the crown and tree tattoos on his right arm and back be used to identify him in surveillance footage or witness accounts?
Even the smallest detail could be the key to solving this case.
Official wording
Narcoterrorism; Providing Material Support to Foreign Terrorist Organization; Conducting a Continuing Criminal Enterprise; International Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances; Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances; Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances; Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering Caution: Carlos Alberto Paez Pereda is wanted 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.” Paez Pareda allegedly operates a prolific manufacturing and distribution network for the Mayo Zambada faction of the Sinaloa Cartel and enforces the Sinaloa Cartel’s operations in Sinaloa and Tijuana through murder, kidnappings, and other violent activity, using a group of armed fighters and hitmen. He allegedly manages and controls a portion of the Sinaloa Cartel’s transportation operations from Sinaloa to Tijuana, and the surrounding municipalities, ultimately leading to the importation of these drugs into the United States and their distribution in the Southern District of California and elsewhere.
On March 27, 2026, a federal arrest warrant was issued by the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, San Diego, California, after Paez Pereda was charged with Narcoterrorism; Providing Material Support to Foreign Terrorist Organization; Conducting a Continuing Criminal Enterprise; International Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances; Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances; Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances; and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California issued a federal arrest warrant for Carlos Alberto Paez Pereda on charges of narcoterrorism, material support to foreign terrorist organization, conducting a continuing criminal enterprise, and drug trafficking conspiracies.