Enedina Arellano Félix’s Leadership: Narcotrafficking and Women in Mexico
The rise of narcotrafficking in Mexico has led to the prominence of women in increasingly prominent and violent roles within the criminal world. Since 2011, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has included 14 Mexican women on its list of most wanted criminals. Today, we delve into the dark world of “La Narcomami,” a central figure within the Arellano Félix cartel, one of Mexico’s most feared cartels. However, among the prominent women on this list is Enedina Arellano Félix.
The Prominence of Women in Mexican Narcotrafficking
Photo: Mundo Narco
Enedina Arellano Félix is the only leader at the helm of the Tijuana Cartel. At 59 years old, she is known as “La Jefa,” “La Madrina,” or “La Narcomami,” one of the main figures of this dangerous criminal group. At first glance, they may seem like an ordinary Mexican family. But in reality, they are members of one of the most influential drug trafficking organizations: the Arellano Félix, also known as the Tijuana Cartel.
The Intriguing Figure of “La Narcomami”
Photo: Mundo Narco
At the end of the 20th century, they controlled a large part of the drug trafficking in Mexico. They unleashed a bloody regional conflict with the Sinaloa Cartel, led by the most dangerous and powerful drug lord in the world, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. According to Infobae reports, “La Jefa” or “Narcomami” mainly dedicated herself to managing the group’s finances. When the time came to lead the organization alongside her nephew, Fernando Sánchez Arellano, she made strategic decisions, even facing off against family enemies.
The Arellano Félix: More than a Common Family
Photo: Mundo Narco
Sánchez Arellano, also known as “El Ingeniero,” was arrested in 2014 while watching a soccer match on television. It was then that Enedina, a professional accountant, was named the sole leader of the Arellano Félix. However, since 2002, reports from the United States describe her as the “financial brain” of the organization. Together with her husband, Luis Toledo Carrejo, they have established businesses in Tijuana that allow them to launder money from drug trafficking profits.
A Different Vision in the Business
Photo: Mundo Narco
This operation is made easy for them as both share the profession of accountant. Unlike other narcotic leaders, authorities suggest that Enedina has a different vision of the business. She is not seeking to fuel the war but rather to establish alliances that allow her to operate relatively peacefully in a dangerous environment. She is known as a woman of few words, avoiding the ostentation associated with drug lords, and her routine includes early mornings.
Profile of “La Narcomami”
Photo: Mundo Narco
DEA reports have placed Enedina at the forefront of the organization since 2008. She is classified as the most powerful woman in the world of narcotrafficking and the head of a cartel on the verge of extinction. The war with the Sinaloa Cartel and the persecution of her loved ones placed her on the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control blacklist. Thanks to her involvement in organized crime money laundering, she has financially strangled the population of Tijuana.
“La Narcomami”: Strategist and Powerful Leader
Photo: Mundo Narco
Enedina Arellano Félix’s story is a shocking testimony of how women have risen to positions of power in the world of narcotrafficking in Mexico. Despite the violence and brutality that characterizes this illicit business, “La Narcomami” stands out as a cunning strategist and a powerful leader. Her focus on stability and alliances, rather than war and rampant violence, makes a notable difference in a dark and dangerous world. Enedina Arellano Félix remains an enigma in the world of narcotrafficking, a figure that defies expectations and proves that in this murky world, power has no gender.
Related Article
