Gold Guns, Weapons, and Armored Vehicles: A Profile of “El Maniako,” the New Hitman Boss in Michoacán

Who will take control of one of Michoacán’s most bloodthirsty armed wings following the fall of its top leader? On August 31, the killing of Luis Enrique Barragán Chávez -known in the criminal underworld as “R5” or “Wicho”—left a massive power vacuum within the “Wicho Special Forces,” a unit of the Los Reyes cartel. 

Amidst this violent reshuffling, one alias has begun to stand out in security reports: “El Maníaco” (The Maniac). This notorious and ruthless security chief was part of Wicho’s inner circle, responsible for armed protection and territorial control in Los Reyes and the coveted border area adjoining the state of Jalisco. 

With roots linked to the Self-Defense Movement, the Los Reyes cartel built a powerful private army to safeguard its lucrative illicit operations. While Alfonso Fernández Magallón—alias “Poncho”—headed logistics networks and smuggling operations into the United States, R5 established himself as the group’s enforcer, swelling its ranks with trained gunmen and a military-grade arsenal. 

Investigations by intelligence agencies and U.S. Treasury Department sanctions documented that this faction armed itself with improvised explosives, .50-caliber anti-armor rifles, RPGs, and armored vehicles known as “monsters,” even recruiting mercenaries and former Colombian police officers as tactical instructors. 

For years, the Wicho Special Forces engaged in fierce clashes with operatives from the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), battling cells such as Ramón Álvarez Ayala’s “Hierros” and Heraclio Guerrero Martínez’s—alias “Tiolaco”—”Guerreros.” They are also blamed for drone-based attacks on military troops in municipalities such as Cotija, Tingüindín, and Jacona. 

Today, with Wicho dead and the traditional leadership weakened following Poncho’s capture, the criminal organization is seeking a new direction. “El Maníaco,” backed by his combat record and his presence in narco ballads, is emerging as the natural successor to lead the armed wing of Cárteles Unidos. Will “El Maníaco’s” arrival trigger a new spiral of violence in Michoacán?

Sources: Milenio, Cartel Insider Archives