Amado Carrillo Fuentes
Amado Carrillo Fuentes (December 17, 1956 to July 3, 1997) was a Mexican drug lord associated with the Juarez Cartel. Fuentes is sometimes called the “Lord of the Skies”. He maintained a fleet of jets used to transport cocaine from Colombia to Mexico, and relied upon connections in Colombia to launder large amounts of money. By the 1990s, much of the cocaine entering the United States came through Mexico, and Fuentes and the Juarez Cartel were responsible for a significant portion.
Fuentes entered the drug trade quite young. He was the nephew of Ernesto Fonseca Carillo, head of the Guadalajara Cartel. He initially worked for his uncle, learning the trade. By the 1980s, the drug trade in the city of Juarez was under the control of Aguilar Guajardo. Amado Carrillo Fuentes was Guajardo’s lieutenant, and following his death under suspicious circumstances, Fuentes took control of Juarez.
Under Amado Carrillo Fuentes, the organization in Juarez grew substantially. He pioneered the use of air traffic to move cocaine into Mexico. The cocaine was then transported into the U.S. by land. He established significant distribution networks in the United States and became a key target of drug enforcement officials. His actions contributed to the violence in Juarez, Mexico. This drug-related violence continues to trouble the region even today.
In 1997, Carrillo Fuentes underwent significant plastic surgery to change his appearance. He died during surgery, perhaps due to an issue with the respirator. The tortured bodies of his surgeons were later found, and his brother Vicente Carrillo Fuentes took over his role in the Juarez Cartel. The Juarez Cartel remains powerful today; however, their influence and potential for violence has gradually decreased over time.
