San Diego MMA Promoter Turned Trafficker Rudy Silva Sentenced to 17 Years, Hired Mexican Gunmen to Shoot Rival

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

Rudy Silva claims via his Instagram and X accounts to be a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a father, computer nerd, and God's soldier. He is the founder/owner of Vaquero Industry Boxing, and the MMA and night club promotional company The Hurt Business. He also links several other businesses including Ace High Stables, California Concierge offering luxury sprinter van rentals, and SD Exotic Car Rentals.

He was also the self-described "King of Coke" of San Diego according to his plea agreement and sentencing documents in San Diego federal court. Prosecutors describe him as a "longtime San Diego-based drug distributor who worked directly with Mexican counterparts."

Rodolfo "Rudy" Benjamin Silva, 44, trafficked cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl according to prosecutors. He was also suspected of arms trafficking to Mexico and hiring gunmen from across the border to shoot a rival trafficker in the US.

His plea agreement lists just one charge of Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine. He was sentenced to 210 months or more than 17 years in prison on Monday. Just shy of the 20 years that prosecutors had requested.

But it was a large bust of meth and fentanyl which put a target on to Rudy in 2022. Specifically, he admitted to supplying a drug mule with 114 pounds of methamphetamine and a kilo of fentanyl in 2022, all of which was seized in Oklahoma on its way to Indiana.

Oklahoma Drug Bust

A heavily redacted criminal complaint indicated that federal authorities identified Silva as a large-scale drug distributor during a wider long-term investigation they were conducting. Prosecutors described him as a “prolific local and national methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl distributor since at least 2018 with direct ties to Mexican cartels.”

As part of that investigation in October 2022, federal agents conducting surveillance watched as an alleged Indianapolis-based drug courier who drove to San Diego visited Silva’s residence and picked up a large cardboard box. Days later, law enforcement authorities stopped the alleged courier in Oklahoma and found 114 pounds of methamphetamine and about 2.2 pounds of fentanyl in the courier’s vehicle.

Silva later admitted that he was the source of those drugs, prosecutors said.

2023 Arrest & Plea Agreement

According to court documents, Rudy was indicted in September 2023 and ultimately arrested on November 14. 2023 in an FBI raid. A few short weeks later, a plea agreement was entered in which he admitted to the cocaine trafficking charge and also to using violence to enforce his trafficking business.

San Diego 'Sicario' Shooting

Silva also admitted in his plea agreement to threatening, directing or using violence as part of his drug trafficking activities. Prosecutors told the court that Silva assisted in bringing assassins known as “sicarios” from Mexico into the San Diego area for cartel enforcement operations.

Judge Major wrote that prosecutors had also argued that Silva “otherwise assisted in facilitating similar enforcement operations in the United States and Mexico for cartels.” And she wrote during his sentencing that prosecutors had presented evidence of Silva selling firearms to individuals in Mexico.  

On one occasion, Silva hired a sicario from Mexico to come to San Diego where that individual attempted to fatally shoot one of Silva’s rivals, prosecutors said.

Few details about that shooting were included in publicly available court documents. But in early 2024, the judge denied Silva’s request for pre-sentencing release, citing the shooting as one of the reasons.

Judge Barbara Major wrote that, according to what prosecutors, Silva “directed the shooting of another individual in the San Diego area who was associated with a stolen load of drugs and utilized a hitman from Mexico to make that attempt.” The shooting likely took place in 2023.

MMA Gym & Boxing Promoter

For over a decade in the San Diego area, Rudy was involved in numerous promotional events including Industry Boxing that hosted fights and events at places such as the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego and night clubs in the area.

Throwback posts on his Instagram show Rudy being involved in MMA fight promotions in San Diego and Mexico for several years 'when they were illegal.'

In 2015, thieves targeted his SUV in front of a Best Buy during the busy Christmas shopping season. His backpack with his laptop, iPad and other items were stolen. He had left his dog inside the SUV when the thief pried open the door to pop the lock. 45 minutes later he realized the backpack was stolen. In a local news interview, he stated “I feel violated. There is anger and frustration,” said Silva. “It was relatively well lit. I felt safe and secure. So secure I left my dog inside,” said Silva.

In the news article, it cites him as a trainer and promoter for MMA fights, who "preaches mental toughness." A GoFundMe was setup to help him recoup the cost of some of the items, which were listed on the page that had over $1,300 raised at the time it ended.

According to Rudy's Instagram, he trained at Victory MMA, a San Diego gym that includes amongst its owners notable influencer, podcaster and former Navy SEAL Lieutenant Commander John "Jocko" Willink. Victory MMA & Fitness/Crossfit was founded in 2007 and relocated to a smaller facility in the Clairemont Mesa area last year following a fire at the Midway, San Diego gym location.

In 2017, Rudy announced via his Instagram that a business partnership was being worked on with Jocko who was coaching him in MMA at that time. Later posts asks local businesses to partner with Victory MMA to share marketing lists, transfer memberships and offer supplement products. It is not known what specific business or the level Rudy was involved in as he is not listed on company records at all. Promotional posts by Rudy Silva were made at the time on the Victory MMA website blog. 

Rudy also trained with Alliance MMA as far back as at least 2008 when he competed in a grappling tournament.

According to court documents, it was since at least 2018 that Rudy had been involved in trafficking. In April of that year, he posted a painting featuring famous mugshots of "El Chapo," Pablo Escobar, Al Capone and shots from The Wolf of Wall Street and American Psycho.

Sources DOJ, NBC7, @rudejitsu, San Diego Tribune, GoFundMe, 10 News

Special Thanks to J