Mexican military kills 'El Güicho,' criminal leader wanted by Washington, in Michoacán
According to the file published on the State Department's website, Luis Enrique Barragán was considered "a well-known sicario and combat leader." Proceeds from drug trafficking were used, according to the same document, to "fund combat operations" and "acquire small arms," which he used to fight his rivals in the CJNG.
(VOZ / Christian Camacho)
Mexican security forces have killed the leader of a criminal group for whom the United States had offered a reward of up to $3 million. This was confirmed on Tuesday by Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch.
Luis Enrique Barragán, known as "El Güicho" or "R5," led the Los Reyes Cartel, one of the factions of Cárteles Unidos, an organization that Washington classifies as a terrorist group linked to drug trafficking.
García Harfuch noted on X that the leader was the "main coordinator of extortion against avocado producers in the region."
The operation in Tocumbo
According to the official account, the events took place in the municipality of Tocumbo, in the state of Michoacán, in the western part of the country. The man killed, Luis Enrique Barragán, allegedly attacked Mexican Army and National Guard officers along with another man. In response to the attack, law enforcement officers repelled the assault and shot him dead.
According to the State Department, Cárteles Unidos emerged as an alliance of smaller cartels in the state of Michoacán, Mexico, with the aim of preventing larger cartels and criminal organizations from gaining a foothold in the state. Subsequently, Cárteles Unidos faced an incursion by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) in western Michoacán.
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The State Department's fact sheet
The investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) led to an indictment against Barragán in the District of Columbia for conspiracy to traffic drugs and firearms offenses in July 2023. The indictment was made public in July 2025, along with the announcement of Treasury Department sanctions against leaders of Cárteles Unidos and a reward offer from the Narcotics Rewards Program (NRP) for Barragán.
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