U.S. indicts son and nephew of cartel leader “El Abuelo” on meth trafficking and terror‐support charges

A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia formally charged Juan José Farías Mendoza, 31, and Israel Vega Farías, 37, identified as the son and nephew of Juan José Farías Álvarez, the alleged leader of the Mexican criminal group Cárteles Unitedos. The indictment alleges conspiracy to manufacture and distribute large quantities of methamphetamine to U.S. markets, provision of material support to the group, which the U.S. State Department has designated a foreign terrorist organization, and the use, possession and trafficking of firearms including machine guns and destructive devices. If convicted, both faces up to life imprisonment. Authorities also highlighted the cartel’s distribution network spanning major U.S. cities such as Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Chicago and extending to Europe and Australia. The U.S. Department of Justice noted a $10 million reward for information leading to the capture of the cartel’s leader, “El Abuelo.”