The Arellano Félix/Fernando Sanchez Organization, also known as the Tijuana cartel or FSO, is one of the two main TCOs operating in the Mexican state of Baja California. The FSO leadership was initially comprised of seven brothers and four sisters, who inherited the cartel from Miguel Angel Félix Gallardo after he was jailed in Mexico in 1989 for his complicity in the murder of a DEA agent. The cartel is responsible for the smuggling of multi-ton quantities of cocaine, marijuana, heroin, and methamphetamine into the United States, and has a reputation for extreme violence.
Of the original seven Arellano Félix brothers, all have been captured or killed, with the most recent being the capture of Eduardo Arellano Félix in October 2008. Of the four sisters, two are quite active in the cartel’s affairs. One of the sister’s sons, Luis Fernando Sanchez Arellano, has taken over cartel operations - the reason for the TCO's name change.
In April 2008, one of the bloodiest gun battles in Mexico’s drug war occurred in Tijuana between rival factions of the AFO. A fast-rising AFO lieutenant named Teodoro “El Teo” Garcia Simental split from the organization and moved to Sinaloa state. He supposedly has the full support of the neighboring Sinaloa Federation, and the majority of recent DTO-related violence in Baja California has been a result of Garcia Simental’s attempts to wrest control of AFO territory from Sanchez Arellano.
In January 2010, Garcia Simental was arrested by Mexican federal police in the quiet seaside town of La Paz, and quickly transferred to Mexico City. His right-hand man, Raydel "El Muletas" López Uriarte, and his brother Manuel were also both arrested in February 2010. While an increase in violence in northern Baja was widely expected, it never really manifested - at least, not in the media. Tijuana still has an abnormally high murder rate, but the public shootouts and displays of beheaded corpses have mostly abated.
The reason for this is an arrangement between the FSO and the Sinaloa Federation. US government reports indicate that the FSO is in control of the Pacific Coast of Baja California, from Tijuana on down, and that the Federation controls northern Baja from Tijuana east to Mexicali. Both TCOs are engaged in trafficking operations in Tijuana, but according to US government sources the FSO is reportedly paying the Federation piso, or a passage fee, in order to do so peacefully. Sources in Tijuana, however, say that the opposite is true: the Federation pays the FSO piso to operate in Tijuana. Recent arrests of an Iraqi smuggling ring in San Diego doing business with the Federation through much-farther Mexicali/Calexico, rather than neighboring Tijuana/San Ysidro, give credence to this claim.
(Chart below by Strategic Forecasting)
I have not seen any data on Luis Fernando Sanchez Arellano and the same one picture seems to be the only one. How is he compared to his uncles?
Posted by: Jay | October 28, 2009 at 08:20 AM
Jay, I'm not really sure. I know that good, updated photos of anyone high up on the drug lord totem pole can often be hard to obtain. I understand he's pretty young, but that's about it. Maybe someone else reading this can offer a better insight?
Posted by: Sylvia Longmire | October 28, 2009 at 08:28 AM
Ingeniero is one of the youngest and least experienced members of the remaining family members that are still actively involved in the drug trade. He is believed to be widely untested and has relied heavily on the Villareal Heredia (specifically "Gordo" Villareal) brothers for the last two years to control the Plazas in Tijuana as well as the physical movement, storage, transfer and money exchange in the US; largely the Gendale, Los Angeles and northeast California area. Both are United States citizens and are being targeted by DEA, although no recent arrests or any action have been linked to either brothers.
Enedina (possible mother or aunt to Fernando) is believed to be the financial mastermind behind the AFC and is believed to be a licensed accountant in Mexico as well as the US. Her husband, not fully identified, is believed to be a lawyer with vast real estate holdings in the southern California area.
Raydel "Mulettas" Uriarte Lopez is assumed to be the predecessor to Teodoro "El Teo" Simental Garcia due to the fact that "La Perra", "El Kaibil", and "El Chiquillin" (all members of TEO's command staff) have been arrested within the last eight months by a cooperative effort between DEA, PGR and the Mexican Army.
Mulettas is believed to cross frequently into the US to conduct business ad has a large support network to include members of his immediate family in the San Diego and Chula Vista area.
The arrest of El Teo may force a longer and more productive truce between the remnants of Teo's crew and the AFC. Tijuana may see the first period of peace it has seen in some time, barring any overt aggressive actions taken by the Sinaloa, Gulf or Juarez Cartel for the control of the Tijuana Plaza. Intel has indicated in the past that Los Zetas,former enforcers for the Gulf Cartel and now their own organization, may be the biggest threat to Tijuana.
As a last note, Jorge "El Cholo" Briceno Lopez, should be removed from the AFC hierarchy chart due to the fact that he died last year from kidney complications after contracting AIDS in 2007. It was believed that he was traveling to La Jolla, CA for dialysis treatments and may have cooperated with US authorities before he expired.
Posted by: Pete | February 02, 2010 at 11:09 PM
Is there supporting data that Jorge Briceno "El Cholo" is still in the mix?
According to the weekly Tijuana publication "ZETA," Briceno was killed by Pedro Zazueta "El Pit."
Posted by: UnleasherOfHell | March 02, 2010 at 10:34 AM
Well, this chart was published by Stratfor in December, and I think that's based on a DEA statement that - although they believe he is dead - no one has ever seen/found the body. There are a LOT of rumors surrounding how he supposedly died, but you never know.
Posted by: Sylvia Longmire | March 03, 2010 at 10:22 AM
Their is alot of rumors of "El Cholo's" death, but their is no concrete evidence that he is or that he is not. Alot of people say that he is infact alive but is taken a break from his illness. There is a narco corrido that states that he is alive and getting better, and people should be ready and careful for his return. El TEO is out of the picture and so is "el Muletas".
Posted by: Gus Sanchez | March 22, 2010 at 10:18 PM
Narco corridos are fun to hear but sometimes they might be lies for the people that are obsessed with these drug lords. I would like to hear more about how the predisident of mexico changed his tactics to hurt the sinaloa cartels finances. Could we tie it to the current struggles that farmers are having with selling their product?
Posted by: Vania Carrillo | May 13, 2010 at 08:18 PM
I have heard tales of El Cholos death. Some say he died in Eastlake others on his way to La Jolla. I dont know for sure but from whats been happening in TJ lately it looks like he is alive.
Posted by: sam sanchez | December 17, 2010 at 02:35 PM
he is very much alive he jokes how all these rumors got started all he had was the high blood pressure but hes giving orders as we speak some one in tijuana told me this she was his son
Posted by: mario alejandro | March 21, 2011 at 07:13 PM
senor briceno is strong n healthy know even his 4 son are active with the afo the afo is stronger and smarter than alot of people think since the arrest of benjamin and murder of ramon el colores and break away groups and practictly all cartela wanting to enter tijuana and baja california why havent they been removed los arellano felix are still very powerful thats why chapo or zambada in since 2002 still cant claim afo territory
Posted by: mario alejandro | March 24, 2011 at 07:04 PM