Sinaloa Cartel lieutenant charged with narcoterrorism in U.S. fentanyl case

A high-ranking Sinaloa Cartel lieutenant who leads a violent armed wing known as “Los Rugrats” has been charged in the United States with narcoterrorism and providing material support to terrorism, according to federal prosecutors.

The indictment, unsealed Tuesday in the Southern District of California, charges Carlos Paez Pereda, 30, of Sinaloa, Mexico, with trafficking large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States while using murder, kidnapping and armed enforcers to protect cartel operations.

Paez, also known as “Carlitos” and “Carlitos Rugrats,” is accused of operating a major manufacturing and distribution network for the Mayo Zambada faction of the Sinaloa Cartel.

Prosecutors said his organization moved drugs from Sinaloa to Tijuana and nearby areas before they were imported into the United States and distributed in Southern California and elsewhere.

Over the past decade, Paez has imported tens of thousands of kilograms of methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine into the United States and laundered hundreds of millions of dollars in drug proceeds, according to court documents.

Prosecutors said Paez also used Los Rugrats to enforce cartel operations in Sinaloa and Tijuana through killings, kidnappings and other violence. The group included armed fighters and hitmen, according to the indictment.

The indictment also links Paez to the ongoing conflict inside the Sinaloa Cartel between the Los Mayos faction and the Los Chapitos faction. Prosecutors said Paez has provided fighters, weapons, logistics and money to Los Mayos during the fighting.

The case follows the U.S. designation of the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in February 2025. Prosecutors said the designation allowed them to bring material support of terrorism charges in addition to narcoterrorism, drug trafficking, continuing criminal enterprise and money laundering counts.

Paez was previously designated as a drug kingpin by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in September 2025.

Court documents also included photos pulled from social media accounts associated with Paez, according to prosecutors. The images show drugs, guns and trafficking proceeds allegedly connected to him.

Paez faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison and up to life if convicted on the narcoterrorism or continuing criminal enterprise charges. Other counts carry maximum penalties ranging from 20 years to life in prison.