Carlos Alberto Páez Pereda, better known by the aliases "Carlitos" and "Carlitos Rugrats," has emerged as one of the highest-profile targets in the U.S. campaign against the Sinaloa Cartel, particularly its Los Mayos faction.
U.S. authorities identified Páez as the leader of Los Rugrats, an armed criminal cell based in Laguna Colorada, Sinaloa, that operates under the umbrella of Los Mayos. The group has been accused of producing fentanyl, trafficking narcotics into the United States, and carrying out assassinations and attacks against rival cartel members.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned Páez in September 2025, describing him as one of the principal fentanyl producers and traffickers in Culiacán. However, this week the FBI renewed the advisory and unsealed an indictment with charges against him, accusing him of "narcoterrorism and material support of terrorism in connection with trafficking massive amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine into the United States."
🚨WANTED BY THE FBI🚨
— FBI San Diego (@FBISanDiego) July 7, 2026
Alleged Sinaloa Cartel leader charged in connection with drug trafficking
An #FBISanDiego investigation with LE partners leads to charges against Carlos Paez Pereda, aka “Carlitos,” aka “Carlitos Rugrats,” an alleged high-ranking lieutenant and leader of a… pic.twitter.com/fuC9SHgXOo
According to Treasury, Los Rugrats has played a key role in the violent struggle between Los Mayos and the rival Los Chapitos faction that erupted after the split within the Sinaloa Cartel. Treasury also alleges that Páez carried out murders and attempted assassinations at the direction of senior Los Mayos commanders.
His nickname, "Carlitos Rugrats," comes directly from the name of his criminal organization, Los Rugrats. While little is publicly known about his personal life, Mexican and U.S. authorities say he has risen rapidly within the cartel's hierarchy as older leaders have been killed, arrested, or weakened by the ongoing internal war.
A key figure in the Sinaloa Cartel civil war
Páez's rise coincides with one of the bloodiest periods in the Sinaloa Cartel's history. Since 2024, Los Mayos and Los Chapitos have fought for control of trafficking routes, laboratories and territory following the rupture between the factions after the capture of longtime cartel leader Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada. The conflict has left thousands dead or missing, according to security analysts and open-source conflict monitoring.
Authorities identify Los Rugrats as one of several heavily armed enforcement groups aligned with Los Mayos in that conflict, alongside organizations such as Los Rusos and Grupo Flechas.
The U.S. government considers Páez a significant player in the fentanyl supply chain. Treasury officials say his organization manufactures and traffics fentanyl while helping maintain Los Mayos' influence in northwestern Mexico. As a result of the sanctions, any assets he holds under U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and Americans are prohibited from conducting business with him.
The indictment and sanctions reflect Washington's broader strategy of targeting not only the historic cartel leaders but also the next generation of commanders who have assumed operational control of fentanyl production and cross-border trafficking.
