Tribuna reports Félix Gallardo’s death at 80
By Cartel Insider Wire Desk · Edited by Mica Treviño
Original reporting: Tribuna Sonora
What happened
Tribuna Sonora reports that Félix Gallardo died in Guadalajara after a November 13 transfer from Puente Grande prison for respiratory problems.
Reporting and context
Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, a founder of the Guadalajara Cartel, died at 80 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, after health complications led to his hospitalization, according to Tribuna Sonora.
The outlet reported that he was transferred urgently from Puente Grande prison to Country 2000 hospital on November 13 with respiratory problems and low oxygen levels. Known as “El Jefe de Jefes,” Félix Gallardo headed the Guadalajara Cartel alongside Rafael Caro Quintero and Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo, known as “Don Neto.”
Tribuna Sonora reported that Félix Gallardo was born in Culiacán, Sinaloa, in 1946. He studied commerce before leaving his studies to join the state judicial police, then worked as a bodyguard for Sinaloa governor Leopoldo Sánchez Celis. The source describes a close relationship between the two and says Sánchez Celis was a sponsor at his wedding to María Elvira Murillo.
After leaving the police, Félix Gallardo joined the organization of Pedro Avilés Pérez, known as “El León de la Sierra.” The report describes Avilés as a pioneer of drug trafficking from northwestern Mexico to the United States and traces Félix Gallardo’s subsequent rise through that organization.
Original publication: Tribuna Sonora.