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| Filiberto Caudillo Salinas ("El Fili"), killed at the scene |
El Fili had an extensive criminal career. In 2003, he was arrested in the U.S. for human smuggling. After spending four months in prison, he returned to Mexico and joined the Gulf Cartel in Matamoros under the Cárdenas drug dynasty.
In the 2010s, the Gulf Cartel suffered several schisms as their regional bosses fought each other for control of their turfs. El Fili was involved in many of these alliances and betrayals. In 2017, El Fili faked his death after a shooting with the Mexican Navy in order to operate under a low-profile. He became an informant and provided the military with information about his rivals.
In the 2010s, the Gulf Cartel suffered several schisms as their regional bosses fought each other for control of their turfs. El Fili was involved in many of these alliances and betrayals. In 2017, El Fili faked his death after a shooting with the Mexican Navy in order to operate under a low-profile. He became an informant and provided the military with information about his rivals.
Early life
Filiberto Caudillo Salinas ("El Fili"), also known by his alternate name Filiberto Munguía Bravo, was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, in circa 1976.
There is a discrepancy on his real name since earlier sources cite him with the surnames Munguía Bravo while recent ones use Caudillo Salinas. El Fili was described as being one-eyed (Spanish: tuerto), and there was a U.S. inmate with one of his names that matched that description too.
It is possible that Filiberto Caudillo Salinas and Filiberto Munguía Bravo may be two different people. Borderland Beat was not able to officially confirm with Mexican authorities by press time if these two suspects were one and the same.
There is a discrepancy on his real name since earlier sources cite him with the surnames Munguía Bravo while recent ones use Caudillo Salinas. El Fili was described as being one-eyed (Spanish: tuerto), and there was a U.S. inmate with one of his names that matched that description too.
It is possible that Filiberto Caudillo Salinas and Filiberto Munguía Bravo may be two different people. Borderland Beat was not able to officially confirm with Mexican authorities by press time if these two suspects were one and the same.
U.S. indictment and arrest
In March and April 2003, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas in Brownsville issued two indictments against El Fili. He was charged with three counts of human smuggling. The indictment stated that he knowingly, willfully and in reckless disregard conspired with others to bring in, land, conceal, harbor and shield certain aliens within the U.S.
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| Screenshot of the two 2003 sealed indictments accessed by Borderland Beat |
The charges were terminated on October 2003 after he reportedly became an informant. Borderland Beat consulted the court records using the government's Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) and was able to find details on his criminal charges. However, the majority of the documents remain sealed.
Gulf Cartel career
El Fili started in the Gulf Cartel as a member of Grupo Marinos, a faction under former kingpin Mario Cárdenas Guillén ("M1"). El Fili was known by his alias "M7". He later worked under M1's son Mario Alberto Cárdenas Medina ("El Betillo") as a member of Los Ciclones faction. M1 and El Betillo are related to Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, the former leader of the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas. El Betillo reportedly continues to lead the Matamoros faction from prison.
On 6 November 2011, El Fili was arrested by the Mexican Army in Teúl de González Ortega, Zacatecas for illegal possesion of firearms. A few days later, however, several employees from El Financiero newspaper went to his prison and bailed him out. Authorities stated that these people were close friends or relatives of El Fili, who they identified as a Gulf Cartel member. Three employees from El Financiero went missing after his release.
In Los Ciclones, El Fili was originally known by his code name "Ciclón 385" but he later changed it to "Ciclón 40". He was a close associate of Gerardo Silva ("Doctor Balaceras") and reportedly conspired with him to oust Ángel Eduardo Prado Rodríguez ("Ciclón 7") as the Matamoros regional boss. Ciclón 7 was arrested in October 2015.
El Fili and others supported Rogelio González Pizaña ("Z-2") as the Matamoros regional boss, but other rival Gulf Cartel faction members killed Z-2 and his family in December 2015. In March 2016, regional boss Odón Azua Cruces ("Gordo Cherrys"), who was responsible for multiple kidnappings in Matamoros, was killed by El Fili's faction. A month later, rival gangsters reportedly killed El Fili's associate Doctor Balaceras.
Fake death and aftermath
In March 2017, El Fili was reported dead in Matamoros after a shootout between Gulf Cartel members and the Mexican Navy. El Fili faked his death in order to fall off the radar. While in hiding, he continued to promote the fact that he had been killed and became an informant for the Mexican military by providing them with information about his rivals.
El Fili continued to work for the Gulf Cartel and controlled the eastern part of Matamoros, including the beach area. He reportedly supervised a clandestine mass grave near the beach. A former cartel member stated that El Fili ordered his henchmen to kill their victims at the beach by burning them to death in steel drums. The victim's ashes were them scattered in the ocean to erase all traces.
His criminal career finally came to an abrupt end on Friday 17 March 2020, when El Fili was killed in a clash with rival gangsters in Matamoros.
Note: Special thanks to Borderland Beat forum contributors "leChef", "Podrido", "Itzli" and "La Plata" for the providing information about El Fili's criminal background.
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| Mario Alberto Cárdenas Medina ("El Betillo"), former boss of El Fili |
In Los Ciclones, El Fili was originally known by his code name "Ciclón 385" but he later changed it to "Ciclón 40". He was a close associate of Gerardo Silva ("Doctor Balaceras") and reportedly conspired with him to oust Ángel Eduardo Prado Rodríguez ("Ciclón 7") as the Matamoros regional boss. Ciclón 7 was arrested in October 2015.
El Fili and others supported Rogelio González Pizaña ("Z-2") as the Matamoros regional boss, but other rival Gulf Cartel faction members killed Z-2 and his family in December 2015. In March 2016, regional boss Odón Azua Cruces ("Gordo Cherrys"), who was responsible for multiple kidnappings in Matamoros, was killed by El Fili's faction. A month later, rival gangsters reportedly killed El Fili's associate Doctor Balaceras.
Fake death and aftermath
In March 2017, El Fili was reported dead in Matamoros after a shootout between Gulf Cartel members and the Mexican Navy. El Fili faked his death in order to fall off the radar. While in hiding, he continued to promote the fact that he had been killed and became an informant for the Mexican military by providing them with information about his rivals.
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| Gunmen killed with "El Fili" in Matamoros |
His criminal career finally came to an abrupt end on Friday 17 March 2020, when El Fili was killed in a clash with rival gangsters in Matamoros.
Note: Special thanks to Borderland Beat forum contributors "leChef", "Podrido", "Itzli" and "La Plata" for the providing information about El Fili's criminal background.
Very well! I love to see dead sicarios.
ReplyDeleteSo you fake your own death and STILL manage to stay in the same city where all your rivals are looking for you? Lol Einstein.
ReplyDeleteHe was not killed by military he was killed by other c.d.g. Members Most likely by betrayal as he always had a lot of people with him
ReplyDeleteGood catch, I totally misread the source I cited. I've fixed it now.
DeleteI don’t usually comment on here but he was a serious guy well known and feared that’s why he lasted so long in the game. I remember going to the beach area where he controlled and used to hear people talk about all the people he would burn to ashes. Won’t catch me out there anymore tho lol
DeleteHe was slick worked both sides
ReplyDeleteThat's the end of El fili, can't fake his death anymore. Word on the street is, he loved to eat tacos de carne asada.
ReplyDeleteAnd you don’t?
DeleteHe looked like a Pig
DeleteHe looked like a Pig. Mario may have high Blood Pressure
DeleteFili is now minced meat
DeleteHe sure did :-)
DeleteEl chubby cheeks, search him more throughly, he's packing contraband in his mouth.
ReplyDeleteMore like “el Fifi”...effeminate scumbag. Finally a definite good riddance. Rot in hell forever scumbag POS. Fat fucking Porky ass Pig. OINK OINK squeal like a pig now shithead LOL.
ReplyDeleteDid he fuck your family up or why the hostility?
Delete11:37 you is WEEKEND fluffer,stop bein twink soldier
DeleteGreat work keeping piling them up.
ReplyDeleteHe’s now ready for the CARNITAS. Adiós panzon marrano
ReplyDeleteIs it possible that he got betrayed by Los Cyclones? I feel that the tides are turning and some of his group could have been switching to Los metros?
ReplyDeleteNo future in drug dealing or being a SICARIOS.. Early grave or long sentence in prison.. 🇲🇽 has too much guns and too many CARTELS NOW.. Back on the days sicarios got paid good and drug dealers made good profit but NOW it's SUICIDE working for a CARTEL in 🇲🇽.. Specially with this war on drugs where gringos go to Mexico to find the big fish
ReplyDeleteMEXICANS will always be made an example of how they cross drugs and are bad hombres and help win elections just by cslingbthem animals and rapist.. JOKE
U r right, only the big bosses have the money little guys may get $100.00 r nothing
DeleteGreat news we need more dead narcos
ReplyDeleteTamaulipas sounds rough man, these dude are constantly murdering each other in the same city in the same cartel, shit is wild
ReplyDeleteI knew he had to be a snitch as soon as I read he was released 4 months later with such a heavy charge. I wonder how he didn't get killed for that... On another note that shit of narcos fake killing them self's never works it kinda funny. Reminds me of the scene from anchorman 2 where Steve carrels character is attending as a guest at his own funeral. Also I wonder if these guys that do this have people go out and scout for people that resemble them and kill them just for this
ReplyDeleteDoes the Gulf Cartel even have a boss now since it’s divided by turf wars?
ReplyDeleteYes every month they get a new boss so they can steal from the old bus 😂😂😂
DeleteEl fili was high ranking. He betrayed el cherry whom ended up dead in shootout against el gama10 whom also died in the shootout. Fili faked his death soon after. He was an informer all along. He went from el ciclon40 to el ciclon385 and was allegedly in charge of the east side of matamoros including the beach. A nice territory once controled by el kelin. Also allegedly th2us guy was on the side of el betillo mario cardenas son whom is locked up but somehow had his ppl fighting el vaquero whom was left in charge by el contador. This guy wont fake his death again or betray the cartel. Rest in pieces.
ReplyDeleteEntonces los mañosos de un
DeleteCárdenas contra los de otro Cárdenas? Está cabron!
So in other words elVaquero's people took him out? If it's how you say then they were just cleaning house. If he would of listened to his boss(el contador) instead of creating divisions he'd still be alive. Fools got to unite instead of being power hungry and/or greedy. Got to bring the violence down and stop extortions and kidnapping innocent/regular civilians that have nothing to do with that, regardless if they're related to someone that is or not.
Delete