NAME: Juan José Farías Álvarez
ALIASES: “El Abuelo”
DOB: August 10, 1970
POB: Mexico
NATIONALITY: Mexican
CITIZENSHIP: Mexico
HEIGHT: 5’9”
WEIGHT: 180 lbs
HAIR COLOR: Black
EYE COLOR: Brown

According to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Juan José Farías Álvarez is the current leader of Cárteles Unidos, which was designated by the U.S. Department of State as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist on February 20, 2025. Historically, Cárteles Unidos began as an alliance of smaller cartels in the state of Michoacán, Mexico, to prevent the incursion of larger cartels and criminal organizations into the state. Cárteles Unidos serves as an umbrella organization for several smaller cartels that work together to acquire, manufacture, and distribute illegal drugs such as methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. Cárteles Unidos work together to export those illegal drugs from Michoacán to the United States.

In the early years of the alliance, Farías organized people from his hometown of Tepalcatepec as well as other cities in the state of Michoacán in Mexico as a self-defense force against the Knights Templar cartel, which terrorized the local population with extortion, kidnapping, and killings. In time, Farías’ organization became known as Cartel de Tepalcatepec or Cartel del Abuelo.

Years later, the alliance combatted the incursion of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) into western Michoacán.

The HSI investigation into the drug trafficking activities of Farías and his Cartel del Abuelos faction of Cárteles Unidos began in 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. An investigation of a local car accident, which revealed the recovery of a substantial amount of methamphetamine later led to the execution of a search warrant in Atlanta, Georgia, resulting in a much larger seizure of methamphetamine, in addition to fentanyl pills and heroin.

HSI traced the methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin trafficking down to Mexico and Farías. The HSI investigation led to an indictment charging Farías in the District of Columbia with drug conspiracy offenses and firearms offenses in January 2024. The indictment was unsealed in July 2025 in conjunction with the announcement of Treasury sanctions against Farías as well as a Narcotics Rewards Program (NRP) reward offer for Farías.

The Department of State is offering a REWARD OF UP TO $10 MILLION for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Farías.

If you have information, please contact HSI by email at AbueloTips@hsi.dhs.gov. If you are located outside of the United States, you can also visit the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.  If you are in the United States, you can also contact the local HSI office in your city.

ALL IDENTITIES ARE KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.  
Government officials and employees are not eligible for rewards.

https://www.state.gov/juan-jose-farias-alvarez