Two Teens Sentenced for Chula Vista Cartel Murder Attempts

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Two 15-year-old boys, Andrew Nunez and Johncarlo Quintero, have been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for their roles as hired gunmen for the Sinaloa Cartel in a pair of shootings in Chula Vista, California in 2024. The teens pleaded guilty to attempted murder charges for wounding two men, as well as murder charges for the death of their 28-year-old accomplice, who was killed in self-defense by one of the attempted murder victims.

Why it matters

This case highlights the growing problem of Mexican drug cartels recruiting underage individuals to carry out violent crimes, taking advantage of their youth to avoid harsher prosecution. It also demonstrates the ongoing cartel violence spilling over from Tijuana into neighboring cities like Chula Vista.

The details

Nunez and Quintero were specifically recruited by the Sinaloa Cartel due to their young age, as they would not be prosecuted as adults. The attempted murders arose from a cartel war in Tijuana that led to retaliatory killings and a stolen drug load. The teens drove from Los Angeles to Chula Vista, where they shot and wounded one victim at a Chili's restaurant, and later opened fire on another victim's family at his home, killing their 28-year-old accomplice in the process.

• The shootings occurred in March 2024 when the teens were 15 years old.
• Nunez and Quintero were sentenced on Friday, March 13, 2026.

What’s next

The three alleged Sinaloa Cartel associates who prosecutors say were involved in coordinating the murder attempts are facing prosecution in San Diego and are slated to appear in the same federal courtroom on Friday where Nunez and Quintero were sentenced.