Benjamín Arellano Félix (born 12 March 1952) is a Mexican former drug lord who alongside his brothers founded and led the

Tijuana Cartel The Tijuana Cartel (Spanish: ''Cártel de Tijuana'') or Arellano-Félix-Organization (Spanish: ''Organización Arellano Félix'', AFO) is a Mexican drug cartel based in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. Founded by the Arellano-Félix family, the ...

or "Arellano-Félix Organization” until his arrest in March 2002.

Biography

Benjamín Arellano Félix, who worked closely with his brothers, was one of Mexico's most powerful drug lords and the supplier of one-third of the U.S.'s

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...

. Benjamín had six brothers: * Francisco Rafael Arellano Félix (born 24 October 1949) – Shot dead by gunmen disguised as clowns at child's party, on 18 October 2013. * Carlos Arellano Félix (believed to have been born 20 August 1955) is not currently wanted. * Eduardo Arellano Félix (born 11 October 1956) – Captured in 2008. * Ramón Arellano Félix (born 31 August 1964) – Shot dead by police in 2002. * Luis Fernando Arellano Félix (believed to have been born 26 January 1966) is not currently wanted. * Francisco Javier Arellano Félix (born 11 December 1969) – Captured in 2006. He also has four sisters. Two of them, Alicia and Enedina, are most active in the cartel's affairs. Benjamín was first arrested on 18 June 1982, in Downey, California, for receiving 100 kilos of

smuggled through the San Ysidro border. However, he escaped custody. The Arellano Félix brothers obtained their first big break in 1989, when they inherited the organization from their uncle,

Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo (born January 8, 1946), commonly referred to by his aliases ''El Jefe de Jefes'' ("The Boss of Bosses") and ''El Padrino'' ("The Godfather"), is a convicted Mexican drug lord Kingpin. He was one of the founders of th ...

, after they showed early promise smuggling

consumer electronics Consumer electronics or home electronics are electronic ( analog or digital) equipment intended for everyday use, typically in private homes. Consumer electronics include devices used for entertainment, communications and recreation. Usuall ...

over the U.S.–Mexico border. By 1998, the Arellano brothers had been indicted in the U.S. for drug trafficking, and Ramón had been put on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list. Despite the brothers' audacity, they remained untouchable for 13 years. This was accomplished, in part, with large amounts of cash bribes to Mexican politicians and police commanders, at the cost of an estimated US$1 million per week. Benjamín Arellano tried to clear his name after the 1993 murder of Cardinal

Juan Jesús Posadas Ocampo Juan Jesús Posadas Ocampo (11 November 1926 – 24 May 1993) was an Archbishop of the Catholic Church in Mexico who served as the eighth archbishop of the see of Guadalajara and as a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Posadas Ocampo was ...

, in which he had been implicated. That high-profile assassination brought international attention to his trafficking organization and, although this forced Benjamín to lie low and adopt false names, he continued to live in casual confidence, apparently unafraid of capture. He had a secret meeting with the Apostolic Nunciature to Mexico, Girolamo Prigione on December 1,

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peacefu ...

. Another of Benjamin's brothers, Francisco, was arrested soon afterward on drug charges, and Benjamín, Ramón, and Javier officially became fugitives.

Kingpin Act sanction

On 1 June 2000, the

United States Department of the Treasury The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and ...

sanctioned Benjamín under the

Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act The Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, better known as the Kingpin Act, is landmark federal legislation in the United States intended to address international narcotics trafficking by imposing United States sanctions on foreign persons ...

(sometimes referred to simply as the "Kingpin Act"), for his involvement in drug trafficking, along with eleven other international criminals. The act prohibited U.S. citizens and companies from doing any kind of business activity with him, and virtually freezing all his assets in the U.S.

Arrest

The U.S.

DEA The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA; ) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice tasked with combating drug trafficking and distribution within the U.S. It is the lead agency for domestic en ...

learned that Benjamín's oldest daughter had a very recognizable and rare facial deformity, and that she was the "soft spot" in her father's violent life. By tracing her, they found her father. Benjamin was arrested on 9 March 2002 by the

Mexican Army The Mexican Army ( es, Ejército Mexicano) is the combined land and air branch and is the largest part of the Mexican Armed Forces; it is also known as the National Defense Army. The Army is under the authority of the Secretariat of National ...

in the state of Puebla, Mexico. He had a $2 million

USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

bounty for his arrest. Authorities are not sure where Benjamin's money went, beyond some real estate investments in Tijuana. Mexican officials say it has been invested in U.S. real estate, while their U.S. counterparts say much of it is hidden in cash in Mexico. Benjamin was extradited to the United States on 29 April 2011 to face charges of trafficking cocaine into California. On January 4, 2012, he pleaded guilty to racketeering and conspiracy to

launder money Money laundering is the process of concealing the origin of money, obtained from illicit activities such as drug trafficking, corruption, embezzlement or gambling, by converting it into a legitimate source. It is a crime in many jurisdictions ...

, and was sentenced to 25 years in prison on 2 April 2012. Some objects that were confiscated from him during his arrests are on display at the Museo del Enervante in Mexico City. As of January 2023 Benjamin is incarcerated at USP Lee with a BOP Register Number of 00678-748. He is scheduled for release on April 28, 2033.

In popular culture

In the 2017

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...

and

Univision Univision () is an American Spanish-language free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. It is the United States' largest provider of Spanish-language content. The network's programming is aimed at the Latino public and includes ...

series, ''

El Chapo EL, El or el may refer to: Religion * El (deity), a Semitic word for "God" People * EL (rapper) (born 1983), stage name of Elorm Adablah, a Ghanaian rapper and sound engineer * El DeBarge, music artist * El Franco Lee (1949–2016), American po ...

'', Carlos Hernán Romo plays Benjamín Avendaño (a fictionalized portrayal of Benjamín Arellano Félix). He is portrayed by

Alfonso Dosal Manuel Alfonso Castro Dosal (born March 13, 1985), known professionally as Alfonso Dosal, is a Mexican actor. Early life and career Dosal was born in Mexico City on March 13, 1985. In his childhood he lived eight years in Querétaro and the ...

in the Netflix series '' Narcos: Mexico''. A 2003 Mexican film, ''El fin de los Arellano'' (''The End of the Arellanos''), featured characters supposedly based on the Arellano brothers; however, its plot bore practically no resemblance to the actual events. The Arellano brothers were allegedly an inspiration for the two secondary characters of "the Obregón brothers", featured in the 2000 US film ''

Traffic Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation. Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffi ...

''.

References

External links