Carlos Arellano Félix

Carlos Alberto Arellano Félix (born August 20, 1955) is a Mexican medical doctor who is known for his illegal involvement in money laundering for the Tijuana Cartel.

Carlos was born on the 20th of August in the year 1955 in the city of Culiacán, Sinaloa.

Historian Paul Eiss states that Culiacán is the origin of modern drug trafficking and the home of Mexico's most powerful drug cartel.

Carlos is currently working as a licensed surgeon.

He finished his surgical training at the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara The Tijuana Cartel is an organisation that is notorious for being one of the most well-known drug trafficking groups in Mexico to smuggle goods into the United States.

Carlos’ family is made up of seven brothers and four sisters who inherited the Arellano Felix Organisation from their godfather, Miguel Ángel Félix.

Despite Carlos’ involvement in money laundering for the Tijuana Cartel, he is one of two brothers who remains free and is not wanted by the United States law enforcement.

Carlos Arellano Félix was born in the city of Culiacán, Sinaloa in Mexico.

The city is approximately 58,000 square kilometres situated in north-western Mexico between the towering mountains of the Sierra Madre Occidental and the Gulf of California, south of the border of Sonora and north of the beaches of Nayarit Culiacán is situated on a small coastal plain with remote mountain redoubts, secluded tidal marshes and coastal inlands that allow suitable hideouts for rebels, contrabandists and bandits.

The Tijuana drug cartel, in which Carlos was involved in, was originally formed in the 1960s in Sinaloa predominantly delivering heroin and marijuana from Sinaloa to the United States.

According to Historian Paul Eiss, Culiacán, Sinaloa is a "regional organised crime hub" within Mexico and is the home of one of the most powerful drug cartels Authorities and academics fault the Tijuana's drug trade for the new wave of violence within Mexico.

Sinaloa and Culiacán in particular are commonly associated with the values and the aesthetics of drug dealers.

Carlos Arellano Félix's family is composed of seven brothers and four sisters who were brought up in the city of Culiacán.

Many of Carlos’ immediate and external family members were also involved in illegal activity through the Arellano Felix Organisation.

Carlos' brothers Eduardo, Ramon, Benjamin and Francisco Javier were the top leaders of the cartel, which dominated the flow of cocaine, marijuana and other drugs between 1986 and 2002.

Carlos’ sisters, Enedina and Alicia, are also involved in the organisation's illegal activities.

Carlos' nephews, Fabian Arellano Corona and Javier Benjamin Briseño Arellano are also a part of the Tijuana Cartel.

Due to Carlos’ family's illegal acts, Mexican prosecutors were pursuing superior Mexican traffickers, including the Arellano family and close associates.

Despite Carlos’ active role in money laundering for his family's organisation and an attempted indictment, Carlos and his brother Luis Fernando Arellano Félix are the only brothers who remain free in Mexico and are not wanted for any criminal charges.

Eduardo Arellano Félix was Carlos' most ruthless brother who was the chief financial officer of the Tijuana Cartel.

He was responsible for laundering hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit drug proceeds alongside Carlos.

His role included guiding his brothers to orchestrate the importation of hundreds of tons of cocaine and marijuana into the United States.

He ordered several kidnappings and murders and directed the extensive corruption of law enforcement and military personnel in Mexico.

Eduardo also personally purchased numerous firearms which were used within the Tijuana Cartel.

Carlos’ family all inherited the Arellano Felix Organisation from their god father Miguel Ángel Félix after his incarceration in 1989.

He was in charge of daily operations since 2000, however, was captured by the Coast Guard in August 2006.

In 2002, Benjamin was detained in Mexico and was extradited to the United States in 2011.

In April, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison by a federal court in San Diego after reaching a plea bargain with prosecutors.

Despite his arrest, Benjamin continues to have a major influence on the Tijuana Cartel's operations.

Ramón Arellano Félix is one of Carlos' brothers who was known to be a high-ranking ruthless member of the Tijuana cartel whose role was to lead and implement enforcements within the cartel.

He was a drug smuggler who began trafficking contraband electronics, imported clothing and marijuana in Tijuana, working under his brother Benjamín Arellano Félix.

While working with the Guadalajara cartel, he developed an ongoing rivalry with Joaquín Guzmán, which was a significant factor that led to the violent conflict between the Tijuana cartel and the Guzmán's cartel.

In 2002, Ramon was executed by police in a shootout in the western state of Sinaloa.

Carlos' youngest brother Francisco Javier Arellano Félix also played a role in the Tijuana Cartel known for laundering money within the organisation.

After the arrest of Carlos' brother Benjamín and the death of his other brother Ramón, Francisco became the natural successor to head the organisation.

In November 2007, he was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty in September 2007.

In October 2008, Eduardo was arrested by Mexican authorities in Tijuana after a shootout with police.

His final extradition order was given in 2010.

Benjamín Arellano Félix is known to be Carlos' smartest brother who was the prudent and symbolic leader of the Tijuana cartel.

He was considered to be the 'brains' of the organisation and participated in drug trafficking, money laundering and aiding and abetting crimes of violence for the Tijuana Cartel.