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Brownsville Today
By the People, for the People
Gulf Cartel Underboss Pleads Guilty in U.S. Federal Court
The second-highest-ranking leader of the Gulf Cartel admitted to drug trafficking conspiracy charges.
Apr. 2, 2026 at 9:38am
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The second-highest-ranking leader of the Gulf Cartel, known as Vaquero, pleaded guilty this week to a federal drug conspiracy charge as part of a plea agreement with U.S. prosecutors. Vaquero was one of the top cartel figures that Mexico's government extradited to the U.S. in 2025 after pressure from the Trump Administration to crack down on drug cartels.
Why it matters
The Gulf Cartel is one of Mexico's most powerful and violent criminal organizations, designated as a foreign terrorist group by the U.S. government. Vaquero's guilty plea is a significant development in the ongoing efforts to disrupt the cartel's drug trafficking operations that have fueled violence and instability along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The details
As part of the plea deal, Vaquero admitted to his role in helping lead the Gulf Cartel's smuggling of large quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl into Texas, primarily through the border city of Brownsville. Court documents show that from 2015 to 2021, the cartel's top leader, Jose Alfredo 'El Contador' Cardenas Martinez, used Vaquero and another lieutenant, Ricardo 'Billeton' Cortez Mateos, to run the organization's operations.
- In 2021, Vaquero was arrested in the Mexican border state of Nuevo Leon, where he was listed as an employee of the Matamoros police department.
- From 2015 to 2021, the Gulf Cartel engaged in a brutal turf war with a rival faction known as Los Metros, resulting in hundreds of abductions and murders.
The players
Vaquero
The second-highest-ranking leader of the Gulf Cartel who pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking conspiracy charges.
Jose Alfredo 'El Contador' Cardenas Martinez
The top leader of the Gulf Cartel, who is currently jailed in Mexico but reportedly still running the organization from behind bars.
Ricardo 'Billeton' Cortez Mateos
A lieutenant in the Gulf Cartel who helped run the organization's operations alongside Vaquero under the direction of El Contador.
What they’re saying
“The case against Vaquero centers on the large quantities of cocaine, meth, and fentanyl that the criminal organization smuggled into Texas, primarily through Brownsville.”
— Ildefonso Ortiz, Award-winning journalist with Breitbart News Foundation
“During his time in power, Vaquero helped spread a reign of terror in northern Tamaulipas as his faction of the Gulf Cartel waged a fierce turf war with another faction based in the border city of Reynosa known as Los Metros.”
— Brandon Darby, Managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas
What’s next
The judge will determine Vaquero's sentence, which could range from 10 years to life in prison, at a later date.
The takeaway
Vaquero's guilty plea is a significant blow to the Gulf Cartel's leadership and a step forward in the ongoing efforts to disrupt the cartel's drug trafficking operations that have fueled violence and instability along the U.S.-Mexico border.
