Alejandro Flores Cacho

Alejandro Flores Cacho runs the air operations of the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico. A mysterious figure, relatively little is known about Flores Cacho except that he has created an operation that includes training centers for pilots and money laundering operations for the cartel.

History

Cacho reportedly began to traffic drugs with the help of two Mexican pilots, Jorge Jorge Gustavo Arevalo Kessler and Richard Garcia Sanchez. Starting around 2002, Cacho set up an aircraft smuggling network in Mexico, Venezuela, and eight different states in the US.

Criminal Activities

Working closely with his family and friends, Flores has established an elaborate network of pilots that moves drugs from South America into Mexico for the Sinaloa Cartel. The network includes a maintenance plant, a training school and a cargo carrier, all legally registered in Mexico. Flores also moves bulk cash north to south for the cartel and uses front companies to help him launder money and conceal illegal businesses. These include a restaurant, a cattle ranch, an agricultural business, a manufacturing and distribution firm, a sports management club, an electronics company, and an office supplies store according to the US Treasury Department.

Geography

Cacho’s network of airplanes reportedly extends from South America to the United States.

Allies and Enemies

Cacho works for and is allied with the Sinaloa Cartel.

Prospects

US authorities placed Flores Cacho on an organized crime black list in 2010, which grants them more power in attacking his financial assets. He has so far eluded capture.

Resource

• "Treasury Targets Sinaloa Cartel and Air Cargo Networks" U.S. Treasury, 13 October 2010
• "Narcopilotos de Sinaloa, en lista negra de EU," El Universal, 13 October 2010
• "Treasury Hits Mexican Pilot for Alleged Drug LInks," Associated Press, 13 October 2010