Francisco Rafael Arellano Félix

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Francisco Rafael Arellano Félix (born 24 October 1949) is a Mexican drug lord involved in the Tijuana Cartel. The oldest of a gang of seven brothers who allegedly ran the Tijuana-based drug cartel, he coordinated the buying, selling, and movements of narcotics on behalf of the organization.

He was arrested on August 7, 1980, in San Diego, California, United States, after delivering 205 grams of cocaine to an undercover DEA Agent. On December 4, 1993, he was arrested by the Mexican Federal Judicial Police in Tijuana, Baja California, and $150,000.00 was seized. He was incarcerated at the Almoloya de Juárez Maximum Security Prison near Toluca, Estado de México, on violations of illegal arms possession, drug charges, and complicity in the murder of Juan Jesús Cardinal Posadas Ocampo. Arellano Félix finished serving a 10-year sentence in 2004 for stockpiling illegal weapons, but was ordered held pending a final resolution of a U.S. extradition request. In May 2005 Mexican authorities transferred nine inmates, including Arellano Félix, from the Almoloya facility (since renamed "La Palma") to other facilities.

On September 16, 2006 it was reported that Arellano Félix was extradited to the United States, and on June 18, 2007 pled guilty to charges of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute, cocaine. [1]

On March 5th, 2008 Arellano Felix was released from a US prison in the city of El Paso, Texas and crossed to Mexican soil in the border city of Ciudad Juarez.

[edit] References

• Tijuana Cartel via PBS Frontline
• DEA Congressional Testimony
• Kelly Simmons and Ana Ruiz-Brown. Tijuana Police Supply Info for Assassination of Commander
• Staff report (May 22, 2005). The week in Mexico. San Diego Union-Tribune
• Mexico extradites alleged drug kingpin.
• Rafael Arellano pleas guilty [2]