Behind the name “Los Rugrats,” which evokes a children’s television series, is an alleged criminal group with links to the powerful Mexican Sinaloa cartel.
Të lidhura
None found
U.S. authorities have targeted 30-year-old Carlos Paez Pereda, known by the nickname “Carlitos Rugrats,” whom they consider the alleged leader of the faction.
Paez Pereda is accused of narco-terrorism, drug trafficking and using violence. According to U.S. investigators, the group is suspected of sending large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine to the United States.
The U.S. Department of Justice has placed him on the wanted list of the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
His nickname is linked to the animated series “Rugrats,” while the activities attributed to the group have nothing in common with the world of children. U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon summed up the case by saying: “You can’t arrest a cartoon character. But you can arrest a narco-terrorist.”
Carlos Paez Pereda
U.S. investigators describe “Los Rugrats” as a violent group operating within criminal networks linked to the Sinaloa cartel.
Mark Remily, an FBI special agent, said the group’s unusual name should not create the impression that it poses little danger, as it is an extremely dangerous organization.
Authorities allege that its members have used killings, kidnappings and weapons to maintain control and ensure the continuation of drug trafficking.
The DEA suspects that Paez has helped worsen the drug crisis in the United States, while violence, according to the allegations, has been used to protect the criminal activity.
Another aspect that has attracted the authorities’ attention is the way people suspected of being part of the group displayed their lives online.
The U.S. Department of Justice has published photographs taken from a private Instagram account linked to “Carlitos Rugrats.” They show gold- and silver-colored customized weapons, while one of the photographs features a gold pistol engraved with the name “Paez.”
Another image shows several weapons placed together and accompanied by the caption “my 3 favorites.”
For the authorities, such posts are part of a broader trend in which individuals linked to organized crime use social media to showcase their wealth, weapons and luxurious lifestyles.
The phenomenon extends beyond the “Los Rugrats” case. In Mexico, authorities and organizations tracking organized crime have raised concerns about the emergence of a new generation of social media figures who may have links to criminal groups.
The ACLED project has reported that dozens of influential people on online platforms are being investigated on suspicion of laundering money on behalf of criminal networks.
Data cited by Mexican media show that at least 19 influencers and content creators have been killed in Mexico since 2024.
Maria Fernanda Arocha, of ACLED, has described some of them as “narco-influencers.” The term refers to people with large numbers of followers who display a high standard of living and who, in some cases, are suspected of having links to criminal organizations.
Arocha nevertheless stressed that, in most cases, these links have not been proven.
The use of symbols on social media is also being analyzed as part of criminal groups’ communications. According to reports in Spanish media, some of them use specific emojis to identify themselves or contact people who could be recruited into criminal activities.
In materials linked to Los Chapitos, the Sinaloa cartel faction associated with the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, a slice of pizza accompanied by the letters “ch” has been observed. This creates the reference “chapizza.”
The rooster emoji has in some cases been linked to Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and its former leader, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho.” Meanwhile, the cowboy hat has been associated with Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, one of the historic figures of the Sinaloa cartel.
Social media serves not only to expose criminal activity; in some cases, figures who have built an online following have also become targets of deadly attacks.
César Gastélum, 25, who had around 600,000 followers on TikTok, was shot dead on August 4 while livestreaming from Sinaloa.
Cesar Gastelum
Gastélum was known for his humorous videos and public appearances wearing a cowboy hat.
His killing has been compared with that of Mexican influencer Valeria Márquez, who was killed during a live TikTok broadcast.
Valeria Marquez
The 23-year-old was in her beauty salon in Zapopan, in the state of Jalisco, when an armed person entered the premises and opened fire.
The incident caused widespread shock because the killing took place during a livestream and was seen by her followers.
The “Los Rugrats” case illustrates one of the ways criminal groups are adapting to the social media era.
While the need for secrecy once prevailed, some of the criminal world’s new figures now publish images of weapons, money, luxury cars and symbols linked to their organizations.
For the authorities, this creates a twofold problem: online platforms can be used for propaganda, the recruitment of new members and, according to suspicions, money laundering.
Investigations into these figures are ongoing, but the picture that has emerged is clear: the new generation of cartels is not only inheriting the violence of its predecessors, but also displaying it in the virtual sphere.
