
The person at the center of this case
Carlos Alberto Paez Pereda (fugitive)
Justice for Carlos Alberto Paez Pereda (fugitive) — the trail went cold in 2026, but the truth hasn't.
Start here
What is Paez Pereda's current location and is he still actively managing cartel operations from Mexico?
What specific evidence links Paez Pereda to the manufacturing and distribution networks supplying fentanyl to California?
Who are the key associates and subordinates in Los Rugrats that law enforcement should target to dismantle the organization?
Carlos Alberto Paez Pereda is a high-ranking lieutenant of the Sinaloa Cartel's violent "Los Rugrats" wing, wanted for trafficking massive quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine from Mexico into the United States. Federal authorities allege he operates a prolific manufacturing and distribution network, manages cartel transportation routes from Sinaloa to Tijuana, and enforces operations through violence including 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, and his current whereabouts remain unknown.
Try asking
A one-time $10 claim transfers this imported case workspace to your account. You get 10 uploads for this case, 25 daily AI questions for this case, and public tips with files route to you.
This does not start a subscription. When the included limits are reached, the Personal plan unlocks more workspace capacity.
Beyond the top three above — each detail below could be the thread that pulls this case open.
What are the primary trafficking routes and border crossing points used by Paez Pereda's network between Sinaloa, Tijuana, and the United States?
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 Paez Pereda on charges including narcoterrorism, material support to foreign terrorist organization, continuing criminal enterprise, and drug trafficking conspiracies.