"HEARST" and "Socalj" for Borderland Beat
El Ruso, a direct subordinate of Mayo Zambada and the founder of Sinaloa Cartel group “los Rusos”, was just named on the FBI’s wanted fugitive list.
On April 1, 2024, the FBI Los Angeles office announced on Twitter that Jesus Alexandro Sanchez Felix, alias “El Ruso”, is wanted “for his alleged involvement in narcotics trafficking, hostage taking, and money laundering in connection with the Sinaloa [Cartel].”
The tweet included a photo of the wanted poster and linked to the new listing for him on their website.
Let’s review the new information about El Ruso featured in the listing.
The FBI lists out El Ruso’s real name as being “Jesus Alexandro Sanchez Felix” which is interesting because back in July 2023 it was revealed that a driver’s license had been seized from Ruso’s vehicle which featured the name “Juan José Ponce Félix.”
It’s unclear if this is an indication that it was a fake driver’s license and “Juan José Ponce Félix” is yet another one of the fake names that Ruso uses. Or if the FBI under some obligation to continue using the name which was listed in the original criminal indictment against him.
The FBI writes that El Ruso was born on either June 20, 1982, or June 30, 1982, which would make Ruso 42 years old in 2024.
They list out his height as 5’11” and his weight as 180 pounds.
They write that he “is believed to be in Mexicali, Baja [California].” They add that he also has ties to the Mexican state of Sinaloa and the US states of California and Oregon.
They note that he “should be considered armed and dangerous and an escape risk.”
The FBI website’s profile for Ruso features five images. Three of these five images have not been published before (or at the very least, they have not been widely circulated online). The three are shown below.
The first image appears to be an attempt at an age regression.
Law enforcement will often create new images which depict a person older, or with different hairstyles/hair color based on existing imagery of a wanted fugitive, a missing person, or a set of unidentified remains.
The new images are supposed to help the public recognize the person so they can submit tips which aid the investigation. These images are also usually labeled as “age-progressed” as seen in this example from the FBI website.
It's uncommon, but not unheard of, for law enforcement to release images which actually depict the person as younger (an age regression ), rather than older (an age progression) than they appear in their existing photos.
It's unclear why the FBI wanted to feature an image of a younger El Ruso since he'll only be getting older as time goes on.
It's possible that they are hoping to hear from people who knew Ruso when he was younger, but it's a curious investigation/prosecution strategy considering how witness testimony is considered less reliable when the witness is recalling older events.
Age progressions and regressions are utilized by a number of different agencies /organizations like the FBI, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the United States Marshals Service.
There are artists which specialize in age-progressions, such as Michael W. Streed.
Normally the age progressions released by a federal agency are high quality and they largely avoid the uncanny valley.
But this new photo of Ruso… well, it's not that. The image appears to have been generated through an AI filter or program, and the result has not been adjusted by an artist to fix abnormalities are often generated by AI. The “base” image put into the AI program appears to be a photo of Ruso that was first published by Zeta Tijuana in July 2023. The image was, unfortunately, clearly stretched when it was published, making Ruso look inhumanely wide. By feeding the AI-program an already stretched image of Ruso, you end up with an even more inhuman result.
Additionally, in the original photo, shadow can be seen beneath Ruso's ears, on the wall behind him. The AI program isn't able to recognize that it's a shadow and it ended up recreating that shadow in a warm, skin-like tone, giving Ruso the appearance of a second set of earlobes but this is fairly easy to overlook at smaller resolutions. It's unclear why the FBI wanted to feature an image of a younger El Ruso since he'll only be getting older as time goes on. It's possible that they are hoping to hear from people who knew Ruso when he was younger, but it's a curious investigation/prosecution strategy considering how witness testimony is considered much less reliable when the witness is recalling older events. The second “new” image released by the FBI shows Ruso at an age similar to the Zeta photograph.
It's a relatively high resolution image as far as photos of cartel figures go and may be the closest to Ruso's current appearance.
The third “new” photo is captioned as having been taken in March 2002. Based on his listed date of birth, Ruso would be 20 years old in the photo and it was likely taken during the early stages of his criminal career.
The FBI listing revealed, seemingly for the first time, that El Ruso has been indicted in the US and there is a warrant out for his arrest. In October 2015, El Ruso was indicted in a Los Angeles court on the following charges:
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Conspiracy
Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering
Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances
Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances
Hostage Taking Conspiracy and Hostage Taking
Conspiracy to Launder Money
Carry and Use of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence or Drug Trafficking Crime
Criminal Forfeiture
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Conspiracy
Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering
Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances
Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances
Hostage Taking Conspiracy and Hostage Taking
Conspiracy to Launder Money
Carry and Use of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence or Drug Trafficking Crime
Criminal Forfeiture
It's interesting to note that Melvin Perez Cardenas, another wanted fugitive with a listing, was indicted on the same day, in the same case as El Ruso.
Inexplicable Design Decisions
Any government agency which communicates with the general public has an obligation to put some thought into the way they are communicating.
This is especially true when a government agency is asking the general public for more information about a certain suspect and when the agency is communicating important information about a dangerous criminal.
A big part of making a new Wanted Fugitive listing is the creation of their “wanted poster”, which is available on their website as a PDF for anybody to download, print, and post in public spaces.
These posters have a standard format that appears to support up to four images, so only four of the five images featured on the website could be included.
But, whoever made the wanted fugitive poster for El Ruso made a number of puzzling decisions.
They are showing the exact same image of Ruso twice.
Image #2 and Image #3 are the exact same photo. The only difference between the photos is that Image #2 is adjusted to be lighter, zoomed in, and stretched, making Ruso look unnaturally wide.
Image #3 appears to be in every way the higher quality version of the image, it is simply a bit too dark, likely due to it being a photo of a computer screen. The photo settings of Image #3 could have simply been adjusted and then Image #2 wouldn't need to be included at all.
The AI-generated photo of "younger" Ruso is included on the poster instead of the actual photo of young Ruso.
The photo of Ruso taken in March 2002 is not included on the poster at all and its instead relegated to only being shown on the FBI’s online listing.
When given the choice, real photos - rather than AI generated ones - should be published because AI images may not be accurate to what the person actually looks/looked like.
The "default", primary photo spot on both the poster and website show the AI age regression image and not a real image of Ruso.
Both English readers and Spanish readers negatively view a set of images from left to right because this is how we read text, from left to right.
This means the photo on the left is always viewed first and subconsciously seen as the “primary” image. Again, real photos should always take precedent over artificially generated ones.
The age regression image is not clearly labeled as being an age regression or AI generated despite image captioning being a functionality built into the website.
They labeled the photo of younger Ruso as “Photograph taken March 2002”, therefore, it should be easy to label the age regression. Labeling this image as AI generated to clarify that it may not be accurate to his current appearance or even his previous appearance seems relatively important.
Oftentimes criticism like this is met with a response about how “some poor intern was stuck putting the poster together and they just didn’t have much time or design experience,” but this misses the point entirely.
The decisions made about which photos to include on the wanted poster of a major drug trafficker who is responsible for smuggling large amounts of fentanyl into the US should not be left up to an intern, nor any employee who isn’t going to put thought into it.
Communicating clearly and effectively with the US public is a vital function of law enforcement agencies and these kinds of decisions should be made thoughtfully.
Sources: FBI Website Listing, FBI Wanted Poster, FBI Los Angeles Office Tweet, Zeta Tijuana
Further Reading on El Ruso
The Attempt to Arrest El Ruso That was Stopped by FGR Agents Who Were Acting as His Bodyguards
Does El Ruso have more power than El Chavo Felix
ReplyDeleteHe's got more power then the Chapitos 9:53
Deletelol 😂 😂 😂 u really think that?
DeleteYa no tiene negocio con Don Mayo, va querer atrapar al Mayo pero lo va matar cuando se encuentren. El dio las 130 toneladas. La tarjeta Santa Clara no fallá compitas...
Delete9:59 he does not have more power than IAG be real
Delete1218 100% being real little rats going to fall
DeleteDoes he have more power than Cheyo Antrax?
Delete1:00 you are 💯 thinking with emotion and not with logic in no world is Ruso more powerful than IAG
Delete204 nope no emotions involved. The only person emotional is yourself.
DeleteI'm just stating facts you called them rats getting emotional
DeleteIt’s clear 2:24 you are emotional and it’s fine if you don’t like pizza but be serious Ruso might run some plazas but he answers to someone while pizza boys run an international drug empire dealing drugs in different parts of the world, different levels
DeleteNi de cerca el ruso es mas poderoso que IAG
DeleteJust got back from Mazatlan from Semana santa.. chpiza is extorting all vendors at malecon .. all the locals said it is about to get ugly in Maza as Mayos are getting ready to move in. We were are this club called La malinche so it was all CH songs the banda and groups were playing with the crowd going wild partying around 2am some 4 dudes pulled up and started requesting Mayo they played one song amd the club wemt silent.. owner of the club amd 4 dudes dressed in black pulled them.dudes out and tbey announced on a microphone for everything to put our phones away u.til them dudes were gone. They took them away in 2 black jeeps
ReplyDelete. But all locals are saying CH is fucking shit up all.them CH people that got kicked out of da golfoo santa clara and peñasco had to to come to Maza amd start getting some money back by extortion on all vendors
10:03 but,but the corridos say they are men of honor and do not mess with the civilians and only traffick.
Delete1009am Ya valieron berga la chapiza dician todos alla... asta pa entrar al ban̈o en los antros te cobran 20 pesos alv ..
DeleteChapiza were never in Penasco. Currently in Penasco for semana santa and it has been great. Lots of people and no drama this weekend. Enigma is in town Saturday for Razor/ATV event in which they say people from Sinaloa, and Baja are coming down.
DeleteWish we could see pics of you partying with the viejas, drinking pistos, your slick back hair, and half a pound of something in the trunk of your car.
Delete10:51 el gavilan was working in Penasco a some years ago but I think he was more independent back then.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Delete12:12 yup that’s her !
DeleteCallate guey no digas mamadas 😂 aki nadie cobra piso
DeleteThey’ve always charged to use the restroom in mexico goof ball
DeleteThe old mafia scam... Cause a problem with one group and then provide a solution after with another, meanwhile both groups are part of the same organization.
Delete1212 callese guey
Delete10:03 lmao im from cln and go to mazatlan alot and this is straight b.s
DeleteI went to MAZA two years ago and I asked for nothing but BELTRAN LEYVA CORRIDOS and boy was everyone hush to play them! Everyone told me it was los MENORES territory so they didn't want to play them but in the end money was king and they played all of BOTAS BLANCAS songs.
DeleteAs always, a great article. Kept laughing how you guys roasted the FBI on photo choices and line up.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the club El Ruso, your life is now ticking, you will be caught/killed. America will get you.
ReplyDeleteYou sound like you’re going after him yourself lmao
DeleteAs if they don’t already know this lol these guys are not rookies.
Deletelol sounds kinda cringey
DeleteDoes El Ruso sell fentanyl?
Delete745 good question ? IAG will fall and Ruso will take the Chapitos side of CDS. People really underestimating this guy.
DeleteDamn
ReplyDeleteRuso has been without much US heat for a few years
but maybe they have an indictment under seal in DC, Diego, LA, or AZ
@10:21 or maybe he ain’t cooperating with the FBI. Or which ever agency wants to work with him
DeleteHi J!
DeleteThey do have a sealed indictment in Los Angeles. They reference it and the charges in his listing on their website.
The indictment might be sealed because I couldn't find it in court records this morning but I may have entered search criteria incorrectly. I don't know.
Thanks for the info, assuming you are all over the Apache thing
DeleteThere is a FIRE taco truck/spot in downtown LA called El Ruso, and it's all Sonora imported tortillas and cheese
just for the recommendation lol
also Tolin Infante is on an indictment from Central District too for meth conspiracy
Deletemaybe some one
I'm trying to be all over the Apache thing but all the names are being withheld and there haven't been any developments since the first day. The story be published by tomorrow morning at the latest.
Delete1029. He will cooperate when he gets caught. DEA only makes deals with the main leader like mayo chapo or their kids
DeleteJ -
DeleteThoughts on the recent Aquiles/Ruso alliance theory or news. How does it correlate with the CAF boys being labeled DEA informants and being able to move around USA freely.
Would make sense to me that the recent alliance is hitting CAF hard so they’re going after the leaders. Interested in hearing your thoughts.
Rusos/Aquiles aligned, and right after hit Flaco's team at the San Vicente races, May 2023- and killed 10 of his guys. Tried to kill him.
DeleteAlso, probably the reason they are tightening the hold on Mexicali - and moving on Santa Clara and San Luis.
and they got the approval to hit Flaco and his team wherever. The idea that they were actual DEA informants is not that likely to me. But maybe.
There was a scenario laid out on a comment post that said they used the DEA to have loads seized in the US, concealing the shipments had been cut, prior to importation.
I think it's possible someone did something like that once or twice. But, Chato, Apache, no. Chato for sure no. I think that's just Aquiles team talking shit. There's no reason they couldn't cross back and forth if they weren't under US indictment. Muletas did that. Some of Teo's guys lived in downtown SD during the war.
10:40 what streets? I miss me some Sonoran style
Delete6:45 G Maps says:
Delete1647 W Sunset Blvd
LA, CA 90026
Bad timing to be a ruso especially the times we in with Russia. 😭
ReplyDeleteGet your shit together Mexico
ReplyDeleteOr else we’ll whoop your ass again and take more land.
@10:26 Texas needs to hear what you said cause cali obviously don’t got that problem 😉
Delete@1026 shut up chuntaru Republican
DeleteYou ain’t taking shit keyboard warrior.
DeleteRemember the Alamo
DeleteFrom the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli
Delete.. Marine Corp hymn
🧑✈️💂👮
Rather get killed than in prison just like el macho prieto.
ReplyDeleteNini started to get stressed out after being added to the most wanted list, let’s see how ruso handles that.
ReplyDeleteEl Rusos is funded by trumpet cause he loves Putin and Russians.
ReplyDeletethe beggining of the end for mr russian.
ReplyDeleteThis dude Ruso been around for a long time . Since MP days . Ruso used to open new territory in the southern Mexican states for MZ before he got promoted
ReplyDeleteEl Ruso was always in culiacan lol he wasn’t in Sonora. El aguila, El charly, and MP were in Sonora. Ruso was in tepuche and aguas calientes taking care of MPs plazas in culiacan
Delete11:47 el ruso was always in Mexicali but had people in culiacan and in his ranch till he didn’t
DeleteEl aguila y el charly son el mismo lol they also call him el Barbon in charge of Peñasco plaza
DeleteEl ruso runs Mexicali
ReplyDeleteHe doesnt !!! People loves money and drugs... they are offering 50% of the business. They give you ,lets say, 100 50s and they expect half of the profit, if you smoke it, sold it, gave it away...they come to pick up the money for the 50% share. Very scanlees motherfuckers, cause these are only 18 year old kids, never sold dope or deal with drug addicts, dont have any idea of what they are getting into...ahi estaba cuando les leyeron la "cartilla". Its drugs and money, drug addicts or dealers dont have loyalty... the dealers work for both cds branches.
DeleteMira, The FBI just finally got around to indicting Ruso? Shows that they don't know who is really in charge.
ReplyDeleteOk, Corico and Taquiza got taken out. Who took over for them? Quien les tomaron el puesto? Nobody wants to talk, nobody knows nothing? If the FBI was really serious about getting Ruso, he would have been picked up already.. Puro pedo
Nadie sabe y menos tu. Eres puro pedo
Delete11:28
DeleteDid you read the article? He was indicted nearly ten years ago but recently added to the FBIs most wanted.
Another great read/article
ReplyDeleteRuso and his people keep getting arrested in Mexicali only to be released quietly, including his sister, and el Plaga. They're gonna have to catch him outside of Baja California to keep him in jail. Or some goverment special forces unit to get him and swoop him out immediately to Mexico City or elsewhere out of his zone of influence.
ReplyDelete@11:57 Works the same way everywhere in Mexico. What happened with el 03 d los Jaliscos. a couple weeks ago they captured him nobody made a big deal about it and was released same day.
DeleteHow sure are you 03 was captured and how do you know?
DeleteIt only took ten years after hearing his corridos and shit about him for the FBI to finally be on his ass. Wow!
ReplyDeletehearst.felicitaciones muy buen articulo...........
ReplyDeleteuncanny valley?
ReplyDelete🦎
Ok, uncanny valley, I get it now, thank God for Urban Dictionary..
DeleteWhere have I been the last 20,30 years that I'm so unaware of current usage of the English language?😐😔
Uncanny valley is cleavage.
Delete😂😂😂 el Ruso? 🤣 should be called El ASIATICO!
ReplyDeleteLmao the "age regression" photo is a joke.. especially when they already have a photo of him younger up there. Wtf?
ReplyDeleteThey should of did the age progression back to his days as an infant, to see if any midwives remember delivering him and cutting his umbilical cord, so they can go back in time some 40 plus years, to find his whereabouts today 😒🤣🤦♂️😂
DeletePinche Russo párese más un malayo.
ReplyDeletePutin parece malayo cruzado con Jalisca.
DeleteRuso been seen in puff daddy’s party eating booty dudes chavelos son
ReplyDelete