The Jalisco New Generation Cartel appears to know no borders, as one of its most prominent members is allegedly the Colombian national Carlos Andrés Rivera. A native of Cali, he not only holds a position of command within the feared Mexican cartel but also serves as the illicit link connecting Jalisco with the Valle del Cauca region here in Colombia. Our journalist, Laura Ayala, has the story.
“El Mencho” may have fallen, but the cartel wasn’t left leaderless; a new figure is now beginning to emerge within the CJNG. He is a Colombian—a man upon whose head the FBI has already placed a bounty, and whom authorities describe as extremely dangerous. His name is Carlos Andrés Rivera Varela, alias “La Firma” (The Signature).
He was born in Cali, but his story no longer belongs solely to Colombia. Today, he is a key player within the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, and some claim he has already been naturalized as a Mexican citizen.
“Either you run from the CJNG, or you protect your people—and that much is clear, because we keep on ‘cleaning house,’ yet you still won’t come out to face us.”
One finds, for instance, that…since 2021—roughly speaking—the United States has listed him on its organizational chart for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. He currently faces charges in the U.S. that require him to answer to the courts: conspiracy to launder money and providing material support to foreign terrorist organizations. Consequently, authorities have officially designated him as an extremely dangerous individual.
Andrés Carmona, an investigative journalist, began looking into this figure after noticing that Mexican media outlets were featuring him in their headlines, while in Colombia, there was virtually no information available about him. He discovered that Rivera is not just another run-of-the-mill criminal; his relationship with “El Mencho” was, in fact, exceptionally close.
The United States is currently hunting for Carlos Andrés Rivera—alias “La Firma”—a high-ranking operative within the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. He holds dual Colombian and Mexican citizenship.
We are talking about a Colombian national who enjoys a level of proximity—one might say, an almost immediate closeness—to “El Mencho.” Agustín del Castillo Sandoval, a Mexican journalist and expert on the subject, concurs with this assessment.
However, the data provided by both the DEA and the Mexican government points to a close proximity—specifically within the inner circle—of the notorious “El Mencho,” suggesting that this individual could potentially rise to lead the cartel at some point.
Not just anyone gains access to El Mencho’s inner circle; that privilege is reserved for those who manage the finances or those who issue orders to the armed wing. The latter applies to the individual known as “La Firma,” as it is rumored that the cartel leader entrusted him with a specific mission: to serve as the executioner of traitors.
Consequently, he became a pivotal figure in a process of internal purging—or “cleansing”—within the organization itself. Furthermore, this Colombian national’s name has also surfaced in connection with a series of events that shook the entire nation of Mexico.
This video captures the moment a group of men prepare to launch an attack against Mexico City’s Secretary of Public Security, Omar García Harfuch.
We began to uncover references—specifically within investigative files currently being examined by authorities—linking him primarily to the 2020 attack on the then-Secretary of Citizen Security, Omar García Harfuch, as well as to the assassination of former Governor Aristóteles Sandoval during that same period.
What is alarming is that Carlos Andrés Rivera bridges two worlds: Colombia and Mexico. Indeed, according to researchers such as Juan Camilo Ubaque Bernal—an expert in the terrestrial dynamics of transnational crime—the power of “La Firma” lies in the fact that he serves as a criminal bridge between both countries; a link capable of moving personnel, weapons, and combat expertise.
The very fact that “La Firma” has risen to become a “command unit” within that structure—speaking in terms of transnational organized crime, where a “command unit” represents a high-level tier where top-tier executive decisions are made—demonstrates that Colombia’s position within the global drug market is, in reality, acquiring significant power.
However, it must be said that “La Firma” has earned a great deal of respect in that sphere—primarily because, according to reports gathered by Mexican media outlets, he has become a pivotal figure in the relationship between Colombia and Mexico.
The FBI has just announced a reward of up to $245,000 for information leading to the location of Carlos Andrés Rivera Varela—better known as “La Firma.” This interest stems particularly from his involvement with explosives and his access to personnel—specifically, individuals highly trained in weapons handling—facilitated through his contacts with the group I mentioned at the outset: the FARC dissidents.
That is correct: potential links between this native of Cali and the FARC dissidents. This connection could explain his expertise in combat tactics—and, consequently, his value within the cartel.
We are speaking of a high density of violent crimes committed in and around this city—which is, in its own right, one of the most violent cities in Colombia. The fact that he was, so to speak, “educated” within these “universities of crime”—to borrow a fitting metaphor—means he was forged in an environment where individuals belonging to common criminal gangs are groomed to become high-level strategists in extremely violent dynamics—tactics that are ultimately exported to other nations.
Thus, the fact that a ringleader from Cali can command a major armed organization—such as a cartel in Mexico—demonstrates that Colombia presents a nearly identical scenario. This environment enables such a ringleader to master the principles of command and control, establish operational hubs, manage illicit markets, and execute transnational criminal activities anywhere across the Western Hemisphere.
However, this phenomenon extends far beyond a single individual. Experts warn that Transnational Organized Crime (TOC) no longer recognizes national borders. Just as Colombians are securing high-profile, high-power, and senior management roles within the illicit economies of Mexican cartels, Mexicans are, in turn, establishing themselves as logistical nodes within Colombian territory.
“Alias La Firma” is the Colombian figure who not only participates in these operations but could potentially rise to command them; indeed, some analysts place him in the second tier of leadership—immediately below “El Mencho,” and on equal footing with “El 03,” “El Sapo,” and “El Jardinero.”
The structure is—to put it simply—headed by “El Mencho” at the very top, with a secondary tier positioned below him comprising three key figures: “La Firma,” “El 03,” and “El Sapo.” Should other figures—those mentioned as ranking above him—be neutralized, “La Firma” could take on even greater significance in the eyes of both the United States and the Mexican government.
To the extent that he remains relatively unknown and is able to relocate to a place where there is no risk, he will preserve his chances of eventually succeeding Nemesio Ceguera—or at the very least, of remaining within the inner circle of the Jalisco Cartel. If you analyze the primary armed structure currently operating in, say, Panama, the answer is that it is led by Colombians.
What is the primary armed structure in Ecuador? It’s lead by Colombians. What is the primary armed structure in Venezuela? It, too, is led by Colombians. It’s not a common occurrence, but neither is it impossible. It is by no means abnormal or strange for Colombians to have arrived to work alongside Mexican cartels. What *is* extraordinary, however, is that he has risen so high within the ranks of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
“I am Mencho. I want to make it clear to you all that my war is directed against *El Abuelo* [The Grandfather] of Tilín, Moy Parra, Chelo Pólvatas, and anyone else who takes up arms against my people.”
While authorities search for him—his trail vanishing across international borders—it has proven difficult to uncover details about his life here in Colombia; specifically, how an individual like him could make the leap from Cali—a city known for having one of the highest homicide rates in Colombia—to becoming an integral part of a criminal organization in Mexico.
He almost certainly possesses a criminal history here in Colombia that has yet to be fully explored. It is entirely reasonable to presume that he is an individual with a significant past—one that warrants further investigation to determine whether he operated under a different alias or a different name, given that, in the criminal underworld, identities are frequently manipulated.
Alias ”La Firma” continues to rise in the shadows. A man forged in the violence of Cali, who today may stand just one step away from commanding a war that is no longer confined to Mexico—but has instead become an international conflict.
“Gentlemen, we are Mencho’s absolute mob!”
Source: Testigo Directo
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