Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, Mexico's Drug Trade Architect, Dies at 80
Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, co-founder of Mexico's Guadalajara cartel, died Sunday in a Guadalajara hospital. He was 80.
- 2 days before his death, authorities moved him from a Jalisco prison.
- 40-year sentence followed his 1989 arrest on trafficking and weapons charges.
- 37 more years were added over the killing of DEA agent Enrique Camarena.
- His lawyers sought house arrest repeatedly, citing his failing health.
Why it matters: Felix Gallardo helped create Mexico's modern drug trade. His cartel was the first to move cocaine to the U.S. at massive scale.
- He forged ties with Colombian traffickers, including Pablo Escobar's Medellin cartel.
- Camarena's 1985 killing set off a diplomatic dispute between Washington and Mexico.
How 5 sources split on this story
Where they split: CNN reports the 37-year Camarena sentence came from a 2017 court ruling, while TMZ dates both sentences to 1989.
Center coverage, 3 sources: The center frames it as the death of the Guadalajara cartel's founder, noting his portrayal in Narcos: Mexico.
Left coverage, 1 sources: The left frames his death around the DEA agent's killing and the decades of cartel violence that followed.
What’s next: Officials have not confirmed a cause of death. Local security authorities reported multiple organ failure.
- Will Mexican authorities release an official cause of death?
- When was the 37-year Camarena sentence actually imposed?
