Carlos Félix Linked to Los Chapitos; Seeks Plea Deal in the U.S.

Another individual named in this indictment against current and former officials in Sinaloa is Carlos Félix Omar. He has been in custody since 2023. He was considered a high-priority target due to his ties to “Los Chapitos.” 

He is currently negotiating with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.  Carlos Félix Omar Gutiérrez—whom the United States regards as one of the most significant fentanyl traffickers, and who is currently charged in the same indictment as Sinaloa’s governor-on-leave, Rubén Rocha—is already negotiating with prosecutors in hopes of securing a reduced sentence. 

He was arrested on March 16, 2023, at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, Colombia, shortly after disembarking from a flight arriving from Mexico. He was a high-priority target for the DEA due to his connections with the “Los Chapitos” faction. 

According to court records, in 2022, he operated a network of clandestine drug laboratories in Sinaloa where the illicit substance was manufactured; in November of that same year, working alongside another co-defendant, he finalized a drug sale within the United States. 

The judicial case targets the sons of “El Chapo” Guzmán, whom prosecutors accuse of establishing a sophisticated chain for the production and illicit trafficking of fentanyl—a chain encompassing everything from the procurement of chemical precursors in China to the setup of clandestine laboratories for manufacturing the drug, and finally, its smuggling into the United States. 

However, the investigation also extends to the operators of these clandestine laboratories and fentanyl manufacturers—such as Carlos Félix and Omar Gutiérrez—as well as to hit squad leaders, transporters, and other accomplices. 

In May of this year, an expanded version of that same indictment was unsealed, laying out charges against a corruption network within the administration of Governor Rubén Rocha Moya—a network alleged to have facilitated and provided protection for the operations of “Los Chapitos.” 

On January 21, Omar Gutiérrez pleaded guilty to fentanyl trafficking, in exchange for the dismissal of two additional charges related to money laundering and weapons possession. His sentencing is currently scheduled for August 8.

Source: Milenio