Humberto Rivera Rivera, 51 years old, has taken over the leadership of the Sinaloa Cartel in the region, becoming a priority target for the FBI and facing imminent extradition. On Thursday, February 13, authorities captured "El Viejón" in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, in a joint operation by the Strategic Operations Prosecutor's Office and the National Guard. The arrest took place at the intersection of Fray Junípero Serra and Avenida Valle de Juárez, in the San Lorenzo neighborhood.
At the time of his arrest, Rivera Rivera was identifying himself as "Víctor Cruz" and had several fake identifications. The arrest of the Sinaloa Cartel leader in the Juárez Valley, known as "El Chato," "El Don," or "El Viejón," led to the dismantling of that criminal group's structure at the border. Carrying credentials under the name "Víctor Cruz" and carrying two packages of cocaine, he was captured by state and federal authorities in Ciudad Juárez.
Humberto Rivera Rivera, alias "El Viejón," was the right-hand man of Gabino Salas Valenciano, known as "El Ingeniero," who was killed by federal forces in September 2015. In addition to the fake identifications, Rivera Rivera had cocaine in his possession at the time of his arrest. Both the detainee and the seized evidence were made available to the Public Ministry to determine his judicial situation.
The FBI is seeking Humberto Rivera Rivera as he is considered one of the most important leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, an organization that operated in the Juárez Valley. After the death of Gabino Salas Valenciano in 2015 during a confrontation with federal forces, Rivera Rivera took over the criminal leadership in the eastern part of Ciudad Juárez, being identified as one of the main operators of the group for nearly a decade.
