This is a list of Mexico's 37 most-wanted drug lords as published by Mexican federal authorities on 23 March 2009. According to a '' BBC Mundo'' Mexico report, the 37

drug lord A drug lord, drug baron, kingpin or narcotrafficker is a high-ranking crime boss who controls a sizable network of people involved in the illegal drug trade. Such figures are often difficult to bring to justice, as they are normally not directly ...

s "have jeopardized México national security." As of 8 January 2016, 25 drug lords had been captured, eight had been killed and four remained fugitives. As of 2022, the single remaining fugitive of the 37 most-wanted drug lords is

Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada Ismael Mario Zambada García (born 1 January 1948) is a Mexican drug lord, co-founder and current top leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, an international crime syndicate based in Sinaloa. Before he assumed leadership of the entire cartel, he allegedl ...

who has never been arrested and incarcerated. The list of

drug lords ''Drug Lords'' is a 2018 American docu-series exploring real-life drug-dealing cartels and kingpins such as Pablo Escobar, the Cali Cartel, Frank Lucas and the Pettingill family. Premise ''Drug Lords'' explores real-life drug-dealing cartels and k ...

is grouped by their drug cartels. Mexico has offered up to 30 million pesos for the capture of each of the fugitives.''PROCURADURIA GENERAL DE LA REPUBLICA: Acuerdo Específico del Procurador General de la República, por el que se ofrece recompensa a quien o quienes proporcionen información relevante y útil, que auxilie eficientemente para la localización y detención de las personas que en el mismo se indican.''
Procuraduria General de la Republica. Mexico City, Mexico. 23 March 2009. The United States also offers rewards for two of them. The most-wanted of the 37 drug lords was Joaquín Guzmán Loera, for whom Mexican and U.S. governments offered a total bounty of US$7 million. He was captured on 22 February 2014 in Mazatlán,

Sinaloa Sinaloa (), officially the Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sinaloa), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is d ...

, where he was staying at a hotel. He escaped on 11 July 2015 through a 1.5 kilometer long tunnel from his cell in the Mexican maximum security prison but was recaptured by Mexican Marines following a gun battle on 8 January 2016. As of 8 January 2016, 25 drug lords had been captured, eight had been killed and four remained fugitives.

Chronology

As of 18 January 2011, Mexico had captured or killed 20 of the 37 in the most-wanted list. ''"El Amarillo", entre los 29 narcos más buscados en México.''
El Universal. El Universal. 18 January 2011. "Vanguardia" Coahuila, Mexico. Retrieved 8 March 2012. The 21 June 2011 arrest of

José de Jesús Méndez Vargas José de Jesús Méndez Vargas (born 28 February 1974), commonly referred to by his alias El Chango ("The Ape"), is a Mexican drug lord and former leader of the now disbanded La Familia drug cartel, headquartered in the state of Michoacán. Mé ...

,''La Familia drug cartel defeated, says Mexico.''
Sara Miller Llana. The Christian Science Monitor. Boston, Massachusetts. 22 June 2011. Retrieved 21 December 2011. a.k.a. "El Chango", brought the total to twenty-one captured or killed. On 4 November 2011, Francisco Hernández García was captured. A leader of the Zetas drug cartel, Raúl Hernández Lechuga was captured on 12 December 2011. On 26 September 2012, Iván Velázquez Caballero was captured by Mexican security forces.''Mexico Zetas drug lord Ivan Velazquez Caballero captured, police say: One of Mexico's most wanted drugs traffickers has been arrested, security forces say.''
BBC News. 27 September 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2012. The 7 October 2012 killing of

Heriberto Lazcano Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano (25 December 1974 – 7 October 2012), commonly referred to by his aliases Z-3 and El Lazca, was a Mexican drug lord and the leader of Los Zetas drug cartel. He was one of the most-wanted Mexican drug lords. Lazcano ...

brought this total to 25 captured or killed so far. On 15 July 2013, Miguel Treviño Morales was apprehended by the Mexican Marines in a town called Anáhuac, Nuevo León, near the border of the state of Tamaulipas,. Then, the 27 January 2014 apprehension of

Dionisio Loya Plancarte Dionisio Loya Plancarte (born 21 October 1955) is a Mexican drug lord and high-ranking leader of the Knights Templar Cartel, a quasi-religious criminal organization based in the state of Michoacán. He is the uncle of Enrique Plancarte Solís ...

,''Mexico nabs cartel leader Dionicio Loya Plancarte: The drug cartel leader had a $2.25 million reward on his head from the Mexican government.''
USA Today. 27 January 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2014. a.k.a. "El Tío" left the Mexican government with 10 fugitives still on the loose. On 23 June 2014, Fernando Sánchez Arellano was arrested by soldiers of the Mexican Army and federal agents of the

Procuraduría General de la República The Attorney General of the Republic is the head of the Attorney General's Office (''Fiscalía General de la República, FGR''; prior to 2019, ''Procuraduría General de la República, PGR'') and the Federal Public Ministry of the United Mexic ...

(PGR) at the La Mesa borough of Tijuana, Baja California. On 1 October 2014

Héctor Beltrán Leyva Héctor Manuel Beltrán Leyva (15 February 1962 – 18 November 2018) was a Mexican drug lord and leader of the Beltrán Leyva Cartel, a drug-trafficking organization. He was the brother of Arturo Beltrán Leyva (deceased), former leader of ...

was arrested by the Mexican Army inside a restaurant in San Miguel de Allende,

Guanajuato Guanajuato (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guanajuato ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Guanajuato), is one of the 32 states that make up the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 46 municipalities and its capital city i ...

. On 9 October 2014,

Vicente Carrillo Fuentes Vicente Carrillo Fuentes (born 16 October 1962), commonly referred to by his alias El Viceroy, is a Mexican convicted drug lord and former leader of the Juárez Cartel, a drug trafficking organization. The cartel is based in Chihuahua, one of ...

was arrested by Mexican authorities in Torreón (Coahuila). On 27 February 2015,

Servando Gómez Martínez Servando Gómez Martínez (born February 6, 1966), commonly referred to by his alias La Tuta (The Teacher) for once being a teacher, is a Mexican drug lord and former leader of the Knights Templar Cartel, a criminal organization based in the sta ...

, the leader of the Knights Templar cartel, was arrested by Mexican security forces in Morelia,

Michoacán Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo (; Purépecha: ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of ...

. On 4 March 2015,

Omar Treviño Morales Óscar Omar Treviño Morales (born January 26, 1974) is a Mexican convicted drug lord and former leader of Los Zetas, a criminal organization. He was one of Mexico's most-wanted drug lords. His brother is Miguel Treviño Morales, a former lead ...

was captured inside a residence in

Fuentes del Valle Fuentes del Valle is the third-largest colonia in Tultitlán Municipality in Mexico State, Mexico. The neighborhood is part of the Mexico City metropolitan area and had a 2010 census population of 74,087 inhabitants. It lies near the northern t ...

, an upper-class neighborhood in San Pedro Garza García,

Nuevo León Nuevo León () is a state in the northeast region of Mexico. The state was named after the New Kingdom of León, an administrative territory from the Viceroyalty of New Spain, itself was named after the historic Spanish Kingdom of León. With a ...

, by the Federal Police and the Mexican Army. On 8 January 2016, Mexican Marines captured Joaquín Guzmán Loera after a heavy firefight in the city of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, bringing the total captured or killed to 33.

Grouped by drug cartels

Mexico offers up to 30 million

pesos The peso is the monetary unit of several countries in the Americas, and the Philippines. Originating in the Spanish Empire, the word translates to "weight". In most countries the peso uses the same sign, "$", as many currencies named "dollar" ...

(about 1.45 million U.S. dollars in 2021) for each of the following:

Beltrán-Leyva Cartel

Arturo Beltrán Leyva Marcos Arturo Beltrán Leyva (September 27, 1961 – December 16, 2009) was a Mexican drug lord who, alongside his brothers, founded and led the Beltrán-Leyva Cartel. Prior to founding his own organization, Beltran-Leyva was a longtime high-ra ...

, a.k.a. "Jefe de Jefes", "El Barbas",''Perfil de Arturo Beltrán Leyva: La Muerte, El Barbas o El Botas Blancas, como también se le conocía, se convirtió en el líder del cártel de Sinaloa y aparecía en la lista de los narcotraficantes más buscados del mundo.''
El Universal. Mexico City, Mexico. 16 December 2009. Retrieved 7 March 2012. "El Botas Blancas", "La Muerte" – Killed on 16 December 2009''Mexican Cartel Boss Killed in Huge Raid.''
CBS News. 17 December 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2012. *

, a.k.a. "El Ingeniero",''Narcotics Rewards Program: Hector Beltran-Leyva.''
U.S. Department of State. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. Retrieved 7 March 2012. "El H", "El General" – Captured on 1 October 2014 – Died on 18 November 2018 *

Sergio Villarreal Barragán Sergio Enrique Villarreal Barragán, a.k.a. El Grande, (b. September 21, 1969), is a Mexican former federal police officer who then worked as a lieutenant for Arturo Beltrán Leyva of the criminal organization called the Beltrán Leyva Cartel. He ...

, a.k.a. "El Grande"''Sergio Villarreal Barragan: Capture of “El Grande” helps Mexico's president''
Sara Miller Llana. Christian Science Monitor. 13 September 2010. Retrieved 7 March 2012. "Comeniños",
María de la Luz González. El Universal. 13 September 2010. Retrieved 7 March 2012. King Kong – Captured on 13 September 2010 *

Edgar Valdez Villarreal Edgar Valdez Villarreal (born August 11, 1973), also known as La Barbie ("The Barbie"), is a Mexican-American former drug lord and high-ranking lieutenant of the now-disbanded Beltrán Leyva Cartel. Valdez is serving a 49-year prison sentence ...

, a.k.a. "La Barbie",''Narcotics Rewards Program: Edgar Valdez-Villarreal.''
U.S. Department of State. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. Retrieved 7 March 2012. "El Comandante", "El Güero" – Captured on 31 August 2010

La Familia Michoacana La Familia Michoacana, (English: ''The Michoacán Family'') La Familia (English: ''The Family''), or LFM is a Mexican drug cartel and organized crime syndicate based in the Mexican state of Michoacán. They are known to produce large amounts o ...
/ Knights Templar Cartel

Nazario Moreno González Nazario Moreno González (8 March 1970 – 9 March 2014), commonly referred to by his alias El Chayo ("Nazario" or "The Rosary") and/or El Más Loco ("The Craziest One"), was a Mexican drug lord who headed La Familia Michoacana before heading t ...

, a.k.a. "El Chayo",''Perfil Nazario Moreno González, el adoctrinador: El Chayo, El doctor o El más loco compartía el liderazgo de La Familia Michoacana con José de Jesús Méndez Vargas alias El Chango.''
Mexico City, Mexico. 10 December 2010. El Universal. Retrieved 7 March 2012. "El Doctor", "El Más Loco" – Killed on 9 March 2014 *

, a.k.a. "El Profe",''“La Tuta” cobra como maestro: Servando Gómez tiene una plaza de docente y en el primer trimestre de 2010 recibió ingresos brutos por 51 mil 811 pesos. En los detalles de su ficha en la página de la SEP, se informa que Gómez Martínez no tiene un perfíl académico pero cuenta con 15 años de servicio.''
8 December 2010. El Universal. Mexico City, Mexico. Retrieved 7 March 2012. "La Tuta" – Captured on 27 February 2015 *

, a.k.a. "El Chango" – Captured on 21 June 2011 *

, a.k.a. "El Tío" – Captured on 27 January 2014

Gulf Cartel

Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sánchez Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sánchez (born 1 August 1971), is a Mexican former drug lord and top leader of the criminal drug trafficking organization known as the Gulf Cartel. He was among Mexico's most-wanted drug lords. He joined the ranks of t ...

, a.k.a. "El Coss"''“El Coss”, nuevo “amo” del grupo.''
Francisco Gómez. El Universal. 8 November 2010. Retrieved 7 March 2012. – Captured on 12 September 2012 * Ezequiel Cárdenas Guillén, a.k.a. "Tony Tormenta" – Killed on 5 November 2010 *

Sigifredo Nájera Talamantes Sigifredo Nájera Talamantes (died 7 September 2015), commonly referred to by his alias El Canicón'','' was a Mexican drug lord and high-ranking leader of Los Zetas. Kingpin Act sanction On 24 March 2010, the United States Department of the Tre ...

, a.k.a. "El Canicón" – Captured on 23 March 2009 – Died on 7 September 2015 * Sergio Enrique Ruiz Tlapanco, a.k.a. "El Tlapa" – Captured on 8 September 2009

Juárez Cartel

, a.k.a. "El Viceroy",''Top Mexican drug cartel suspect arrested, officials say.''
CNN. 2 April 2009. Retrieved 7 March 2012. "El General" – Captured on 9 October 2014 *

Vicente Carrillo Leyva Vicente Carrillo Leyva (born 19 July 1976) is a Mexican drug lord and a leader in the Juárez Cartel. Capture He was arrested by Mexican police on 2 April 2009, but subsequently acquitted of money laundering charges, though charges of illegal p ...

, a.k.a. "El Ingeniero" – Captured on 3 April 2009 *

Juan Pablo Ledezma Juan Pablo Ledezma (a.k.a. José Luis Fratello) is the alleged current leader of the Mexican gang called La Línea, which is the leading armed wing of the drug trafficking organization known as the Juárez Cartel and is said to be the current hea ...

, a.k.a. "El JL".

Sinaloa Cartel

* Joaquín Guzmán Loera, a.k.a. "El Chapo" – Captured on 22 February 2014 – Escaped on 11 July 2015 – Recaptured on 8 January 2016 *

Ismael Zambada García Ismael may refer to: People * Ismael Balkhi, a political activist from Afghanistan * Ismael Blanco (born 1983), an Argentine professional footballer * Ismael Prego "Wismichu", a Spanish youtuber * Ismael Villegas, a Puerto Rican Major League ...

, a.k.a. "El Mayo", "El M-Z",''“El Mayo” dice que Calderón perderá la guerra antinarco.''
El Informador. 4 April 2010. Retrieved 7 March 2012. "El Padrino" *

Ignacio Coronel Villarreal Ignacio "Nacho" Coronel Villarreal (1 February 1954 – 29 July 2010) was a Mexican suspected drug lord and a founding member of the Sinaloa Cartel, a criminal group based in Sinaloa. He worked alongside Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, Mexico's m ...

, a.k.a. "El Nacho" – Killed on 29 July 2010 * Juan José Esparragoza Moreno, a.k.a. "El Azul" – Allegedly died on 7 June 2014 * Vicente Zambada Niebla, a.k.a. "El Vicentillo" – Captured on 19 March 2009

Tijuana Cartel

Teodoro García Simental Teodoro García Simental (a.k.a.: ''El Teo'' and ''El Tres Letras'', born 1974) is a former lieutenant of the Mexican criminal organization known as the Tijuana Cartel, and later allied with the Sinaloa Cartel. He was arrested by Mexican Feder ...

, a.k.a. "El Teo", "El Lalo",''El fiscal de la SIEDO obtuvo nuevo auto de formal prision contra Teodoro Garcia Simental, alias "El Teo".''
Procuraduria General de la Republica. Mexico City, Mexico. 6 March 2010. Retrieved 10 March 2012. "El Alamo", "El K-1",
El Universal. Mexico City, Mexico. 12 January 2010. Retrieved 10 March 2012. "El Tres Letras" – Captured on 12 January 2010Mexican drug lord Teodoro Garcia Simental, known for his savagery, is captured
(12 January 2010) * Fernando Sánchez Arellano, a.k.a. "El Ingeniero", "El Alineador" – Captured on 23 June 2014

Los Zetas

* Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano, a.k.a. "El Lazca", "Z-3",''Top 10 Notorious Mexican Drug Lords.''
TIME. 22 June 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2012. "El Verdugo"
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Retrieved 8 March 2012. (English: "The Executioner"), "El Bronce", "El Pitirijas", "Licenciado" – Killed on 7 October 2012
CNN. 9 October 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2012. * Miguel Ángel Treviño Morales, a.k.a. "L40" ("40", "Cuarenta", "L-40", "Comandante 40") – Captured on 15 July 2013 *

, a.k.a. "L-42" – Captured on 4 March 2015 * Iván Velázquez Caballero, a.k.a. "El Talibán", "L-50" – Captured on 26 September 2012 *

Gregorio Sauceda Gamboa Gregorio Sauceda Gamboa is a Mexican illegal drug trafficker of the Los Zetas, when Los Zetas were the armed wing of the Gulf Cartel. Sauceda was a former investigative police officer, who helped smuggle an average of 10 tons of cocaine and 3 ...

, a.k.a. "El Goyo", "Metro-2", "Caramuela" – Captured on 30 April 2009''Atrapan en Chihuahua a Francisco Hernández García, alias "El 2000".''
8 November 2011. *

Alberto Pineda Villa Alberto Pineda Villa (died 12 September 2009), commonly referred to by his alias El Borrado ("The Hazle Eyes"), was a Mexican drug lord and high-ranking leader of the Beltrán Leyva Cartel, a drug trafficking organization. He was killed on 12 Se ...

, a.k.a. "El Borrado" – Killed on 12 September 2009 *

Marco Antonio Pineda Villa Marco may refer to: People * Marco (given name), people with the given name Marco * Marco (actor) (born 1977), South Korean model and actor * Georg Marco (1863–1923), Romanian chess player of German origin * Tomás Marco (born 1942), Spanish c ...

, a.k.a. "El MP" – Killed on 12 September 2009''Despliegan autoridades municipales, estatales y federales un operativo en la Procuraduría.''
El Diario de Morelos. 14 September 2009. Retrieved 21 December 2011. *

Héctor Huerta Ríos Héctor Huerta Ríos, also known by his nickname La Burra (English: The Donkey), was a Mexican suspected drug lord and high-ranking member of the Beltran-Leyva Cartel, a criminal group based in Sinaloa. Huerta-Rios was the leader of the organiz ...

, a.k.a. "La Burra", "El Junior" – Captured on 25 March 2009 – Killed on 4 July 2019 *

Ricardo Almanza Morales Ricardo is the Spanish and Portuguese cognate of the name Richard. It derived from Proto-Germanic ''*rīks'' 'king, ruler' + ''*harduz'' 'hard, brave'. It may be a given name, or a surname. People Given name *Ricardo de Araújo Pereira, Portugue ...

, a.k.a. "El Gori I"''Se Buscan.''
Alfredo Méndez. La Jornada. Mexico City, Mexico. 24 March 2009. p. 4. Retrieved 10 March 2012. – Killed on 4 December 2009
Catherine E. Shoichet (Associated Press). Seattle Times. Seattle, WA. 4 December 2009. Retrieved 11 March 2012. *

Eduardo Almanza Morales Eduardo Almanza Morales (alias ''El Gori II''''Se Buscan.''
Alfredo Méndez. La Jornada. ...

, a.k.a. "El Gori II" *

Raymundo Almanza Morales Raymundo Almanza Morales (alias ''El Gori III'') is a Mexican suspected drug lord and former high-ranking member of Los Zetas, a criminal group based in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Almanza Morales was in the Mexican Armed Forces prior to his involvement ...

, a.k.a. "El Gori III" – Captured on 22 May 2009''Cae operador del cártel del Golfo en Monterrey: Raymundo Almanza Morales, alias "El Gori", uno de los principales lugartenientes del cártel del Golfo, fue detenido en Monterrey, Nuevo León, informó la Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional (Sedena).''
Nubia Maya. El Universal. 22 May 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2012. *

Flavio Méndez Santiago Flavio Méndez Santiago (alias ''El Amarillo'') is a Mexican drug lord of Los Zetas. Kingpin Act sanction On 24 March 2010, the United States Department of the Treasury sanctioned Méndez Santiago under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designatio ...

, a.k.a. "El Amarillo" – Captured on 18 January 2011NPR News
''Mexico announces capture of one of the founders of Los Zetas.''
CNN News. 18 January 2011. Retrieved 28 January 2012. * Sergio Peña Solís, a.k.a. "El Concord", "El Colosio" – Captured on 14 March 2009''La Policía Federal captura a Sergio Peña Mendoza, alias “El Concord” presunto operador de “Los Zetas” en Reynosa.''
Secretaría de Seguridad Pública. Mexico City, Mexico. Press Release 120/09. 14 March 2009. Retrieved 10 March 2012. *

Raúl Lucio Hernández Lechuga Raúl Lucio Hernández Lechuga, alias ''El Lucky'' and ''Z-16'', is a Mexican former drug lord and he had been in the army from 1996 to 1997 and later was one of the founders of the group Los Zetas. The government of Mexico had listed Hernánde ...

, a.k.a. "El Lucky" – Captured 12 December 2011

Sortable table

References

External links

''Original Rewards Press Release by PROCURADURIA GENERAL DE LA REPUBLICA, dated 23 March 2009.''Mug shots and bio of Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mexico's 33 most wanted drug lords Sinaloa Cartel traffickers Organized crime-related lists Mexico Mexican drug war Mexican drug traffickers Mexican money launderers Mexican crime bosses Most wanted lists Mexico crime-related lists