Mayito Flaco: From Heir to Cartel Leader

On September 29, the U.S. Department of the Treasury targeted 21 individuals and 25 entities, including Ismael Zambada Sicairos, a.k.a. “Mayito Flaco,” and his high-ranking lieutenants in Baja California, as well as money launderers, facilitators, corrupt officials, and politicians who help protect the criminal organization's operations from government and law-enforcement intervention.

The conflict between the Sinaloa Cartel's two main factions, Los Mayos and Los Chapitos, erupted following the kidnapping and transportation of Ismael Zambada, “El Mayo,” by Joaquín Guzmán López, “El Güero Moreno,” son of Joaquín Guzmán, “El Chapo.”.

According to the U.S. Treasury, Mayito Flaco has filled the leadership void left by his father's arrest and is now the head of Los Mayos, retaining command and control over the cartel faction. U.S. authorities accuse him of directing criminal activities including drug trafficking, murder, extortion, corruption, and kidnapping.

Mayito Flaco's involvement in the Sinaloa Cartel predates the current conflict. According to a 2014 indictment, Zambada Sicairos was charged with conspiring to distribute controlled substances, including smuggling large quantities of cocaine and marijuana into the United States. U.S. authorities also identified Mayito Flaco as a dual Mexican-U.S. national born in Anaheim, California, in 1982.

 

Mayito Flaco relies on a network of trusted lieutenants to maintain his operations and support the war against Los Chapitos. Among his closest associates is Hildegardo Gastelum Garcia, a.k.a. “Aldo,” whom U.S. authorities describe as one of his most trusted advisers and a trafficker whose illicit revenues help finance the war against Los Chapitos. Another key figure is Jorge Luis Mendoza Uriarte, a.k.a. “Güero Chompas,” a former associate of El Mayo who now serves as Los Mayos' head of security.

Beyond his inner circle, the faction relies on high-ranking lieutenants and plaza bosses to control strategic territories and secure access to major drug-trafficking corridors into the United States.

In Tijuana, Aquiles and La Rana, who had previously been designated by U.S. authorities for controlling the plaza, remain key figures in this structure. The latest sanctions expand the focus on their network by identifying operators allegedly responsible for violence and fentanyl trafficking through Tijuana.

U.S. authorities identified three principal lieutenants operating under Aquiles and La Rana: Pedro Humberto Martinez Rodriguez, a.k.a. “Gordo Flubber”; Jesus Rafael Yocupicio Yocupicio, a.k.a. “El Cabezon”; and Franklin Ernesto Huezo Hernandez, a.k.a. “El Ranchero.” According to Treasury, they carry out violence on behalf of La Rana while managing the production and transportation of narcotics, including fentanyl, through Tijuana and into the United States.

The sanctions also identified one of the network's alleged money-laundering mechanisms. According to Treasury, Ilia Elizabeth Felix Rivera used the Tijuana-based Magic Casa de Cambio to work with complicit money exchanges in Southern California, collect bulk cash drug proceeds in the United States, conduct mirror transactions, and transfer the funds back to Mexico.

Mexicali — Corruption as Territorial Control

Another strategic drug-trafficking corridor through Baja California is located in Mexicali, where “El Ruso” is a key Los Mayos operator and plaza boss. According to the U.S. Treasury, his network used political influence, police corruption, and bribery to protect cartel operations and secure the drug corridor into the United States.

As part of this alleged corruption scheme, the sanctions targeted former Mexicali police director Pedro Ariel Mendívil, who allegedly received bribes from El Ruso in exchange for allowing the cartel to exert control over the municipal police, facilitating drug trafficking and cartel enforcement operations.

The sanctions also targeted Carlos Torres, the former husband of Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar, and his brother, Luis Alfonso Torres Torres. According to the U.S. Treasury, Carlos Torres used his political influence to facilitate cartel activities and protect the Sinaloa Cartel from government and law-enforcement intervention in Baja California.

The rise of Mayito Flaco to the leadership of Los Mayos was not simply a result of being El Mayo’s son and heir. After almost two years of war and the latest allegations, he has managed to maintain the support of regional commanders and key allies while keeping the cartel’s operations functioning, including its political and police protection. This has helped Los Mayos maintain an advantage in the war against Los Chapitos.

Sources:  home.treasury.gov - justice.gov