Cartel boss El Abuelo’s family indicted on narco-terrorism charges tied to meth trafficking
The investigation ultimately stretched “from Tennessee to Mexico.”
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The investigation ultimately stretched “from Tennessee to Mexico.”
The Department of Justice has unsealed federal charges against two high-ranking members of Mexico's United Cartels, accusing them of trafficking massive quantities of methamphetamine into the United States while providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
A federal grand jury in Washington, DC, returned an indictment charging Juan Jose "Juanjo" Farias Mendoza, 31, and Israel "Papo" Vega Farias, 37, both of Tepalcatepec, Michoacán, Mexico. According to prosecutors, the two men are the son and nephew of United Cartels leader Juan Jose Farias Alvarez, also known as "El Abuelo," whom the Justice Department previously charged as part of its ongoing effort to dismantle the cartel's leadership.
The indictment charges both men with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine for unlawful importation into the United States, providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, and using, carrying, and possessing firearms, including machine guns and destructive devices, in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. If convicted, each faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
According to the Justice Department, the Michoacán-based United Cartels is among the world's largest methamphetamine producers, capable of manufacturing multiple tons of the drug each month. Authorities say the organization operates an international distribution network with US hubs in Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Kansas City, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Denver, and Chicago, while also trafficking narcotics to Europe, Australia, and other regions.
The State Department designated the United Cartels a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) on February 20, 2025, expanding the federal government's ability to prosecute cartel members under anti-terrorism statutes.
"This indictment demonstrates the systematic and focused effort of the Criminal Division to dismantle Mexican cartels by targeting their command-and-control elements, including those within cartel leaders' closest circles," said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva. He noted that the defendants are close relatives of the cartel's top leader.
The indictment alleges the conspiracy operated from at least June 2021 through June 2025, with the defendants allegedly conspiring to manufacture and distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, knowing it would be imported into the United States. Prosecutors further allege that after the cartel's terrorist designation, the pair knowingly provided personnel, transportation, chemicals, facilities, land, and other resources to support the organization's drug trafficking operations.
US Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III said the investigation began after authorities seized methamphetamine in eastern Tennessee before expanding into a multi-agency operation that included a seizure of more than 950 kilograms of methamphetamine and fentanyl outside Atlanta.
"The investigation into the United Cartels began in the Eastern District of Tennessee, with a seizure of methamphetamine in a small town outside Knoxville, and a larger interdiction of over 950 kilograms of methamphetamine and fentanyl outside of Atlanta," Hamilton said. He added that the investigation ultimately stretched "from Tennessee to Mexico" and resulted in charges against the cartel's leadership.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Executive Associate Director John Condon called the indictment "a testament to the relentless efforts of Homeland Security Investigations to dismantle the world's most dangerous criminal organizations."
"The United Cartels have fueled violence, addiction, and instability both in the United States and abroad," Condon said.
HSI is investigating the case as part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), a multi-agency initiative established under Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, which coordinates federal efforts targeting transnational criminal organizations, foreign gangs, drug cartels, and human trafficking networks.
The indictment also seeks criminal forfeiture of assets connected to the alleged offenses.
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