Former Gulf Cartel Leader “El Pelón” Dies in US Prison
Mario Ramírez Treviño, better known as “El Pelón” or “X-20”, who once led the Gulf Cartel’s operations in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, has passed away in a US prison. Extradited in December 2017, he died on March 13, 2025, at the age of 63 while awaiting sentencing on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering.
According to a federal court motion in Washington D.C. filed on March 21, 2025, US prosecutors have moved to cancel his sentencing hearing and dismiss charges against him due to his death. The cause of death has not been disclosed.
El Pelón was notably linked to the criminal group known as “La Compañía,” which collaborated with Los Zetas. This organization reportedly facilitated the funding, acquisition, transportation, and distribution of cocaine and marijuana from Colombia to the United States.
His arrest occurred on August 17, 2013, in Reynosa, where military forces detained him. At the time, authorities seized $38,000 in US currency, 25,000 Mexican pesos, and weapons intended for the exclusive use of the Armed Forces.
Prior to his 2017 extradition, the FBI had offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest. In the US, he faced charges for conspiracy in producing and distributing over 1,000 kilograms of cocaine and marijuana, and attempting to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine after a 2007 drug trafficking attempt involving approximately 10 tons of narcotics.
In February 2024, as a witness for the US prosecution, Ramírez Treviño testified during the trial of Rubén Oseguera González, alias “El Menchito,” son of the infamous leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho.”
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