In the early morning of August 31, the Mexican Army, with support from the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, conducted a security operation in the Sierra of Michoacán that resulted in the death of Luis Enrique Barragán Chávez, a.k.a. “R5” and “Wicho de los Reyes.”
Who Was “R5”?
According to U.S. authorities, Luis Enrique Barragán Chávez was a regional leader and chief of hitmen (jefe de sicarios) for the Los Reyes Cartel. Barragán Chávez reportedly became involved in Michoacán's armed groups alongside his brother-in-law, with whom he initially fought Los Caballeros Templarios as part of the self-defense (autodefensas) movement. The two later formed their own criminal organization.
What Is the Los Reyes Cartel?
The Los Reyes Cartel is a Michoacán-based criminal organization that operates as a faction of Carteles Unidos, an alliance of several criminal groups active across the state.
Carteles Unidos and Michoacán
According to U.S. authorities, Carteles Unidos emerged as an alliance of smaller Michoacán-based cartels seeking to prevent larger criminal organizations from expanding into the state, particularly CJNG. The alliance has reportedly been engaged in a territorial conflict with CJNG since mid-August 2019.
“Carteles Unidos is a transnational criminal and drug trafficking organization that controls large areas of Michoacán. Acting as an umbrella organization, it unites several Michoacán-based cartels to acquire, manufacture, and distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine for smuggling into the United States.” The organization is also involved in extortion and other criminal activities.
Carteles Unidos has been linked to the recruitment of foreign mercenaries and the use of improvised explosive devices, including attacks that resulted in the deaths of Mexican soldiers. According to U.S. allegations, profits from drug sales in the United States were used to finance armed operations in Michoacán, acquire heavy weaponry, hire Colombian mercenaries, bribe local officials, and finance lavish lifestyles for cartel leaders.
According to U.S. authorities, Carteles Unidos has also been associated with extortion targeting avocado and lime producers, with those who refuse or are unable to make the demanded payments reportedly facing threats, disappearance, or death.
What Was “R5” Accused Of?
In July 2023, U.S. prosecutors formally charged Luis Enrique Barragán Chávez in the District of Columbia with offenses related to conspiracies to traffic drugs and firearms. The allegations against R5 and Carteles Unidos involved drug trafficking, including the production and trafficking of synthetic opioids to the United States, as well as terrorism and extortion in Mexico's agricultural sector.
Barragán Chávez allegedly led armed factions of Carteles Unidos that enforced territorial control using assault weapons, improvised explosive devices, armed drones, armored vehicles, and foreign mercenaries.
What Was the Reward for “R5”?
On August 14, 2025, the U.S. government offered a reward of up to $3 million for information leading to Barragán Chávez's arrest and/or conviction.
International Connections
U.S. investigations have traced Carteles Unidos' criminal network from clandestine drug laboratories in Michoacán to major distribution hubs across the United States, with related cases pursued in the District of Columbia and the Eastern District of Tennessee. The investigations illustrate the international dimension of the organization, connecting drug production and armed operations in Michoacán with distribution networks operating across multiple U.S. states.
Sources: treasury.gov - justice.gov - state.gov
