Dynamics of the Cárdenas Guillén Family

By Itzli. 

We take a look at the Cárdenas Guillén family dynamics that have played an important part in shaping the CDG for over 25 years.

The Second CDG Dynasty

In the history of Mexican drug cartels a number of families have become infamous, such as the Guzmán, Zambada, Beltrán, Carillo, and Arellano, to name a few. In case of the Cártel del Golfo (CDG, Gulf Cartel) two dynasties have led the organization, the first of which began with Juan Nepomuceno Guerra Cárdenas, a man who pioneered smuggling from Tamaulipas which was passed on to his nephews Juan García Abrego and Humberto García Ábrego, whose focus on drug trafficking gave birth to the CDG.

The arrest of Juan García Ábrego in January 1996 left the CDG without a natural successor as Humberto García Ábrego had been arrested in October 1994. Leadership was briefly assumed by Óscar “El Compadre” Malherbe de León up until his arrest in February 1997 which was quickly followed by the unexpected release of Humberto from prison. With it said that he declined leadership, a fight for power took place with Salvador “El Chava” Gómez Herrera emerging victorious in April 1997. Nevertheless, it should be noted that the Mexican government officially identified Humberto as leader of the cartel and went on to consider him co-leader in 2002 and for a period thereafter.

In the summer of 1999 “El Chava Gómez” was killed by his close friend and associate Osiel Cárdenas Guillen, who seized control of the CDG despite being relatively unknown prior to this event. It has been said that Osiel had been given permission to do so by Juan Nepomuceno Guerra Cárdenas himself. Thus the Cárdenas Guillén Family ascended to the forefront of the CDG and its descendant organization the Matamoros Faction, which they have controlled for the past twenty-five years.

The Covert Leader Hypothesis

While Osiel was the first of the Cárdenas Guillén Family to lead the CDG, his older brother preceded him in selling drugs. Sometime around 1984 that brother, Mario “El Gordo”, helped Osiel purchase a mechanic shop which was used as a front for drug trafficking and retail sales involving them and at least two other brothers, Antonio Ezequiel “Tony Tormenta” and Homero Enrique “El Majadero”. 

Mario “El Gordo” was arrested in 1995 but continued to oversee smuggling from prison at the time that Osiel became the leader of the CDG. Though rarely reported, “El Majadero” was an active member of the cartel as well, while “Tony Tormenta” was well known and documented.

Major media generally reports “Tony Tormenta” as leader of the CDG following the March 2003 arrest of Osiel up until he was killed in November 2010. Mario “El Gordo”, who was released from prison in 2007, became leader at that point up until his arrest in September 2012. It is often claimed that leadership briefly passed to someone outside the family thereafter but this is due to a failure to take into consideration the divisions that had taken place within the CDG. With this in mind “El Majadero” should be regarded as the successor of Mario “El Gordo”, up until his death in March 2014, at which point it is often claimed that a non-family member, Ángel Eduardo “Ciclón 7” Prado Rodríguez, was in charge up until his arrest in October 2015.

Ultimately there is a level of uncertainty with regards to the nature of leadership following the arrest of Mario “El Gordo”, a period that encompassed the emergence of the Matamoros Faction through its first several years of existence. At first glance articles such as one written days after he was extradited to the United States in May 2022 appear to provide insight but unfortunately fall far short in details. For instance, while the title of the article indicates that “El Gordo” led the CDG from prison, information provided focuses on 2019 without clarifying if this extended to any point before or after.

Nevertheless, let us take a step back and explore the possibility. In the days after the arrest of Mario “El Gordo” reporting mentioned “El Majadero” as the expected leader, though their sister Lilia was also noted as a prospect. Thereafter, “El Majadero” would occasionally be mentioned as leader and was referenced in a banner by an enemy cartel. However, it was reported that he suffered from poor health and rumors of medical issues spanned his leadership, which creates a possible scenario in which he was more of a placeholder for the Cárdenas Guillén Family than an actual active leader.

By 2014 “Ciclón 7” was the visible head of the Matamoros Faction and in all likelihood he was the day-to-day leader prior as Los Ciclones were mentioned much more frequently than “El Majadero” himself during his leadership. It would seem that “Ciclón 7” received orders from “El Majadero” but it is possible that Mario “El Gordo” retained control of the organization from prison after September 2012 just as Osiel did from March 2003 to January 2007.

While there is a lack of direct evidence supporting this hypothesis there are some pieces of information worth noting. In 2015 it was said that “Ciclón 7” was closely associated with a son-in-law of Mario “El Gordo”, Juan Remigio Quintanilla. A son of “El Gordo”, Mario Alberto “El Betillo” Cárdenas Medina, was released from prison in 2014 and rumored to be taking control of the Matamoros Faction in January 2015. Nevertheless, “Ciclón 7” remained in power, opening up the possibility that he actually worked under “El Betillo” and/or Mario “El Gordo”. Although reporting highlights Mario “El Gordo” giving orders to “El Betillo” in 2019 via his lawyer, it is logical that this occurred in previous years and may have included other individuals as well, such as Juan Remigio Quintanilla and “Ciclón 7”.

Accounting for El Contador 

There is one particular issue that poses a challenge to the hypothesis that Mario “El Gordo” was fully in charge of the Matamoros Faction from prison: how does one factor in his nephew José Alfredo “El Contador” Cárdenas Martínez. Arrested in April 2004, it is generally believed that he was released from prison sometime in 2014 but if the rumor of his daughter with Balkys Marlene García Leal is true his release would have occurred in early 2013 if not prior.

At first it would seem possible that “El Contador” might fall within the hypothesis as he was mentioned as working under Mario Alberto “El Betillo” in January 2015 but there are issues that are difficult to reconcile moving forward. The arrest of “Ciclón 7” in September 2015 is sometimes blamed on “El Contador” and was seen as an attack on the status quo. Odón “El Gordo Cherry” Azúa Cruces succeeded “Ciclón 7” as the visible leader only to be killed in March 2016. Days later “El Contador” was identified as head of plaza in Matamoros and regarded as the leader of the Matamoros Faction from that point forward. 

While it is possible that all this occurred in accordance with the wishes of Mario “El Gordo”, the killing of his son Manuel “El Many” Cárdenas Medina in October 2016 renders that possibility unlikely as “El Contador” was immediately said to have been responsible. Thus we are left with two major scenarios: “El Gordo” ordered his own son to be killed or, much more likely, “El Contador” acted on his own accord. 

The Outcast Theory

The CDG Matamoros series of articles was written to incorporate available information into a readable narrative and in doing so “El Contador” is presented as the head of an alliance within the Matamoros Faction that took control of the cartel at the expense of “Ciclón 7” and “El Betillo”. There is a frequently cited version of events that, while similar, presents a different perspective. In it, “El Contador” becomes an outcast due to incarcerations and/or his actions, which led to the Cárdenas Guillén Family to effectively disown him and “El Contador” becomes a black sheep that frequently clashes with the larger dynasty, which is implied to be made up of the majority of the Cárdenas Guillén Family. 

Assuming this is the case one would expect to see clear evidence of “El Contador” on one side and most of his relatives on the other. In the case of his uncles the picture is unclear as two are imprisoned, two are dead, or the status of one is currently unknown. Thus we are forced to sort through the second generation, the cousins of “El Contador”. Ezequiel Cárdenas Rivera is unclear, he has operated in Matamoros but there are no clear indications that he has worked for nor against “El Contador” at any given point. As for his siblings Jorge “George” and Karla Elizabeth, they appear to largely stay away from cartel affairs. This also seems to be the case with Grecia Cárdenas Salinas. 

With respects to Enrique Homero “Kike” Cárdenas Salinas, he was an ally of “El Contador” up until his death, which was allegedly ordered by “El Contador” in some versions of events. The husbands of Dora Cárdenas and Yahaira Cárdenas Muñiz have both been identified as close allies of “El Contador” and such was the case with the husband of Marlene Cárdenas Salinas, although there are indications that his loyalty waivered over the years. Frequently imprisoned Osiel “Osielillo” Cárdenas Salinas is a wildcard but seems to have generally followed the lead of his brother-in-law Carlos Fabian “El Cuate” Martínez Pérez, husband of Marlene.

Only one group of siblings are clearly against “El Contador”, the children of Mario “El Gordo”. As previously stated, “El Many” is thought to have been killed as ordered by “El Contador” and the husbands of Nora Cárdenas Medina and Claudia Cárdenas have supported “El Betillo” in the past. While we have yet to cover in detail, “El Betillo” has been the greatest opposition to “El Contador” in the past. The only unknown is where Gerardo “El Fantasma” Cárdenas Medina lies in all this. It should be noted that “El Cuate Martínez” is said to have aligned with “El Betillo” but this ultimately does not matter as he is currently imprisoned. 

A Concept's Source 

As one can see, it is difficult to show the majority of the Cárdenas Guillén Family clearly against “El Contador”. Nevertheless, while the outkast theory has been ignored by major media it has been adopted by a number of cartel blogs and it is worth looking at its origins. 

When it comes to cartel reporting, major media all too often fails to cover organizations in depth resulting in social media becoming an important source of information. An example of this worth mentioning for our purposes is two daughters of Osiel, Marlene and Grecia, who have been compared to the Kardashians. It appears that the majority of the pictures of them that have spread online actually originated from a single Twitter account that posted from the end of February 2019 to June 2019 before shifting focus on the husband of Marlene, “El Cuate Martínez”, up until its second to last post in July 2020.

This also appears to be the case with outkast theory as it apparently originates from one particular Twitter account. Its first post dates back to April 2020 and over the next several months “Osielillo” was virtually the sole target of criticism and denouncements with only passing mentions of other members of the Cárdenas Guillén Family on rare occasions. Beginning in August 2020 some of the posts presented “Osielillo” as being in opposition to Evaristo “El Vaquero” Cruz Sánchez, who was at the forefront of the Matamoros Faction while his boss, “El Contador”, was imprisoned from March 2019 to October 2020. 

Beginning in mid December 2020, posts generally shifted away from “Osielillo” and instead targeted “El Contador”, his family, and close associates such as René “El Gordo” Villarreal Garza, husband of Yahaira Cárdenas Muñiz. It was thus that a treasure trove of negative information on “El Contador” was created and this Twitter account is the primary source of articles about the alleged conflict between the Cárdenas Guillén Family and “El Contador” in many blogs. 

Ultimately it should be noted that “El Contador” is not the only individual in the family presented in a negative light as “Osielillo”, Marlene and her husband “El Cuate Martínez”, Yahaira and her husband “El Gordo Villarreal”, and Ezequiel and Jorge Cárdenas Rivera were targeted at one point or another. “Many Cárdenas” appears in neutral/favorable terms as he is presented as a victim of “El Contador” while “Kike Cárdenas” is initially criticized but his death in February 2021 is blamed at different points on “El Contador”, his sons, or “El Gordo Villarreal”.

Clash of Cousins

Within the source of the outkast theory “El Betillo” is mentioned only once and is presented as seeking revenge for the October 2016 killinging of his brother “Many Cárdenas”, which has been blamed on “El Contador”, who had taken control of the Matamoros Faction seven months prior. After the killing the status of “El Betillo” is unclear due to a gap in available information up until January 2019, at which point later reporting indicates that he was living in Mexico City and directing drug trafficking via telephone, as discussed in greater detail in Part 6: The War Within. 

Since that section of the Matamoros Faction series was written additional information of note has been uncovered from that time frame. In February 2019 a Twitter account was created and posted on the last day of that month that “El Cuate Martínez” was working with “El Betillo”. Additionally, it claimed that Yahaira and her husband “El Gordo Villarreal” should be forgotten as he was more important than them. This may allude to a rumor from another Twitter account that was created in December 2018 with a focus on “El Gordo Villarreal” and Yahaira which claimed on January 1, 2019 that they had abruptly fled Matamoros without explanation. 

On March 3, 2019, three days after the “El Cuate Martínez” allegation, “El Contador” was arrested and a week later 600 kilograms of cocaine allegedly belonging to “El Gordo Villarreal” was seized by the military in Matamoros. Thus “El Betillo” began a war for control of the Matamoros Faction against the allies of “El Contador” under the command of “El Vaquero”. In a sense the war raged on Twitter as well, with one account exposing pictures of Yahaira, “El Gordo Villarreal”, and family and the other Marlene, “El Cuate Martínez”, and family. 

Following the June 30, 2019 arrest of “El Betillo” his second-in-command Raúl “Escorpión 2” García Martínez continued to wage war against “El Vaquero” but he was apparently driven out of Matamoros sometime between mid August to mid September 2019 and fled to San Fernando, where he aligned with Los Sierra. Thereafter, the new alliance continued fighting “El Vaquero” through at least the fall of 2020, primarily in and around Carboneras. References to fighting between the two sides seems to end shortly after “El Contador” was released from prison in October 2020 and it would seem that the war between the cousins had reached an end.

Since then, “El Betillo” was unexpectedly ordered to be released from prison in November 2022 and while this action was to be appealed, it appears that he was ultimately freed. Coincidence or not, around this same time frame Mario “El Gordo”, who had been extradited to the United States in May 2022, reached a plea agreement. “El Betillo” has remained virtually unmentioned since his release and his status is currently unknown. It is worth noting that his brother “El Fantasma” has been occasionally mentioned on social media beginning in September 2023 with it alleged that he operates a trafficking organization in northern Coahuila as part of an alliance with the Sinaloa Cartel, specifically Los Cabrera under Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García. While one can speculate that “El Betillo” is now working with him in this endeavor, it is unclear if this is the case.

Despite the fact that it has not been alleged, there is a possibility that “El Betillo” is once again at war. As previously noted, “Escorpión 2” fought on behalf of “El Betillo” for a time after the latter was arrested and became an ally of Los Sierra before fading from view. In late April 2023 the San Fernando Faction, a grouping of Los Sierra and allies that were once members of Zetas Vieja Escuela, began waging war against the Matamoros Faction which is now led by allies of “El Contador” following his latest arrest in February 2022. Thus we see a similar situation to the previous war of 2019-2020, which begs the question if “El Betillo” and/or “Escorpión 2” are currently involved.

Allegations that the San Fernando Faction is receiving support from “El Mayo” Zambada has spread since December 2023 and recently it was claimed that their third-in-command is an individual that was sent to aid them. While it has been alleged that “El Fantasma” refrains from fighting in general, his alliance with “El Mayo” Zambada coupled with “El Betillo” being connected to the San Fernando Faction via “Escorpión 2” creates the possibility that one or both of them playing a role in Sinaloa Cartel members joining the fight. Regardless, the source of the outcast theory mysteriously posted in November 2023 that “El Betillo” is preparing to take revenge for the death of “Many Cárdenas”.

Rivalry in the Shadow

There is one notable individual that has not been mentioned until now, Rafael “El Junior” Cárdenas Vela. Apparently the oldest of the cousins in the Cárdenas Guillén Family, he was a prominent member of the CDG under his uncle Osiel at a time when most other individuals in the family were unreported. 

In a sense the Cárdenas Guillén Family reached a crossroads in 2007 once Osiel was extradited to the United States which left “Tony Tormenta” at the forefront. That same year Mario “El Gordo” was released from prison and his 31 year old son “El Betillo” may have joined the CDG at this time, though it is possible he was a member of the cartel while his father was incarcerated. In either case it is clear that Rafael “El Junior” interacted with them while he was head of plaza in San Fernando, a small town that was a key point for CDG smuggling.   

Two years later, in June 2009, “El Betillo” was arrested and around this same time frame Rafael “El Junior” was reassigned as head of plaza in Río Bravo. With the November 2010 death of “Tony Tormenta”, Rafael “El Junior” suspected that his uncle had been betrayed by members of the CDG. Having created a group of underlings initially known as Los Ciclones de 900, it was during the leadership of Mario “El Gordo” that he briefly became head of plaza in Matamoros and clashed with some fellow cartel members. Seven months later, in October 2011, he was arrested in the United States.

Less than a month after Mario “El Gordo” was arrested in late September 2012 Rafael “El Junior” testified against two of his former enemies as part of a plea deal. As previously discussed, the emergence of “Ciclón 7” as the visible face of the Matamoros Faction in 2014 appears to place him in the same orbit as “El Betillo”, who was released from prison sometime in the second half of 2014 and was said to have taken control of the Matamoros Faction by January 2015. By the beginning of June 2015 it was claimed that “Ciclón 7”, who was once a close associate of Rafael “El Junior” as a member of Los Ciclones, was in contact with his former boss and receiving information about his enemies and rivals. Weeks later, comments alleged that “Ciclón 7” was also in contact with the father of Rafael “El Junior”, Rafael “Don Rafa” Cárdenas Guillén, who gave him advice and orders. Shortly thereafter, it was claimed that Rafael “El Junior” had asked United States authorities to protect “Ciclón 7” as part of his cooperation, having been sentenced in November 2014 to 20 years in prison under the plea agreement. Nevertheless, “Ciclón 7” was arrested in October 2015.

With the exception of one article from November 2022, which is based on information found in the Guacamaya Leaks, it appears the unexpected role that Rafael “El Junior” played in the May 2022 extradition of Mario “El Gordo” has largely escaped notice. From this we learn that part of the United States’ request for extradition involved two testimonies being sent toMexico at the end of February 2018. One of these was from a special agent of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the other was from Rafael “El Junior”, who detailed cocaine shipments to Mario “El Gordo” while his uncle was still incarcerated, as well as to “El Betillo” in later years. 

According to Rafael “El Junior”, after Mario “El Gordo” was released from prison in 2007 his uncle only wanted to focus on drug trafficking and “never wanted to deal with the problems that come with running a plaza”. The article states that Rafael “El Junior” revealed quite a bit of information, the fact “Tony Tormenta” allowed Mario “El Gordo” to ship cocaine without paying fees that other members of the CDG were charged, information about the trucking company that his uncle had created to transport cocaine from Tampico to Matamoros, and the names of individuals that aided his smuggling.

The testimony of Rafael “El Junior” was crucial for the extradition of Mario “El Gordo”, whose lawyers were pursuing a defense that he had already served time in Mexican prison for his crimes. With these testimonies the United States successfully demonstrated crimes committed following his release from prison in 2007. What motivated Rafael “El Junior” to provide authorities with information about Mario “El Gordo” is not clear but it can be assumed that there was a falling out between the two at some point.

Rafael “El Junior” was released from prison on March 6, 2024, less than twelve and a half years after being arrested. Major media has failed to report on this; blogs and social media have been quiet for the most part. Assuming that he returns to cartel activity it would seem unlikely that he aligns with “El Betillo” based upon aiding in the extradition of Mario “El Gordo”. The question is will he join with “El Contador” despite any indications of previous criminal interactions or does Rafael “El Junior” instead choose to take power at the expense of his cousin.

El Señor de la O

To bring things to a conclusion we will bring things back to where we began. Arrested less than four years after becoming leader, the legacy of Osiel is far greater than his time in power. Under Osiel the CDG pioneered many aspects that are commonly found in Mexican cartels to this day. Furthermore, despite being imprisoned for over twenty years, it is alleged that Osiel continued to have influence over the direction of the CDG.

Although reporting indicates that “Tony Tormenta” became leader of the CDG in March 2003 he actually continued to be a subordinate of Osiel, who directed the cartel while he was being held in the La Palma federal prison, which is now called Altiplano. Other members of the family aided Osiel in this time frame; Rafael “El Junior” continued as head of plaza in San Fernando while his father and his uncle Agustín were assigned to protect properties, ranches, and businesses owned by Osiel and the CDG. 

It was around this time frame that a then 23 year old son of Agustín, “El Contador”, began relaying and acting upon orders given to him directly from Osiel via cell phone. After it was discovered that “El Contador” was acting on behalf of his uncle, he was arrested in April 2004. Osiel would continue to lead via other intermediaries up until he was extradited to the United States in January 2007. Sometime that same year Mario “El Gordo” was released from prison and began taking control of the CDG in his brother’s absence

As previously discussed, after “El Contador” was released from prison he took control of the Matamoros Faction of the CDG in March 2016. Around this same timeframe we see the birth of Zetas Vieja Escuela (ZVE) which began associating with the Matamoros Faction by late September 2016 and two months later it was reported that the alliance had been solidified in a meeting that was ordered by “El Señor de la O”, a nickname for Osiel derived from a song dedicated to him in 2008 by the group Los Tucanes de Tijuana

It was at this point that an ongoing line of allegations in which Osiel began in which he gives orders from United States prison to members of the Matamoros Faction, in particular “El Contador”, his former intermediary. At first glance it would seem unlikely he would be able to do so but one must consider the possibility that this does not entail day to day leadership. Instead, it appears that Osiel dictates the general course and actions of the cartel to one of his daughters that visit him in prison. Initially “El Cuate Martínez”, husband of Marlene, proclaimed to speak on behalf of Osiel but in the months after he was rumored to be working with “El Betillo” against “El Contador” it was alleged that he had stolen $60 million dollars from his father-in-law. From this point forward “El Gordo Villarreal”, husband of Yahaira, allegedly speaks on behalf of Osiel.

In February 2010 Osiel had pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Having met good behavior requirements and serving 85% of his sentence, he is scheduled to be released on August 30, 2024,. Many question if he will return to Mexico thereafter but where he goes is less important than what he does. There is always the possibility that Osiel quietly retires and declines to have further influence over the cartel, but this seems unlikely. 

The return of Osiel opens up four major scenarios. Despite being imprisoned, “El Contador” is still believed to lead the Matamoros Faction and one of his major allies, “El Gordo Villarreal”, allegedly played a role in relaying orders from Osiel. Perhaps the plan is for Osiel to retake control with these two individuals as his principal underlings. Some would say this will not happen as they have family blood on their hand with the killings of “Many Cárdenas” and “Kike Cárdenas” but do we really think that the man who planned the killing of his friend “El Chava Gómez” as the latter was focused on baptizing Osie’s daughter places family before business.

Maybe Osiel goes a different direction with Rafael “El Junior”, the nephew he personally asked to move back to Mexico in the late 1990s to become head of plaza, yet the biggest stumbling block to this is the fact that Rafael “El Junior” has been away from the cartel for so many years while imprisoned. Another possibility is linking up with “El Betillo” and/or “El Fantasma” despite never working with them previously. From this there are a number of fusion scenarios grouping individuals. Of course there is always a scenario where Osiel moves forward without family and works with former underlings instead. Ultimately we are faced with uncertainty in the near term though the dynamics of the Cárdenas Guillén family will likely play a role in the weeks and months ahead.