Mexican security forces kill cartel leader and teenage assassin

Mexican security forces killed a 15-year-old cartel assassin and his uncle, a prominent drug lord, during a shootout at a ranch in Tocumbo, Michoacán, on August 30.

The deceased teenager, identified as Alberto ‘Chuchito Nini’ Sandoval, allegedly commanded a team of hitmen and used social media to recruit other minors into the Cartel de Los Reyes. Authorities stated Sandoval also served as the personal bodyguard for his uncle, 39-year-old Luis ‘El R-5’ Barragán, the leader of the cartel.

Barragán was a high-priority target for the United States, which had offered a $3 million reward for his capture following drug and firearms charges filed in Washington, D.C. The Cartel de Los Reyes operates as a faction of Carteles Unidos, an alliance of criminal organizations in Michoacán, Guerrero, and Estado de México. The U.S. Department of State designated Carteles Unidos as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in February 2025.