Juan Nepomuceno Guerra | |
|---|---|
 Nepomuceno Guerra pictured on far left | |
| Born | Juan Nepomuceno Guerra Cárdenas (1915-07-18)July 18, 1915 Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico |
| Died | July 12, 2001(2001-07-12) (aged 85) Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico |
| Other names | Don Juan;El Padrino;El Padrino de Matamoros[1] |
| Occupation(s) | Gulf Cartel leader and founder |
| Relatives | Juan García Abrego (nephew) |
Juan Nepomuceno Guerra Cárdenas (July 18, 1915 – July 12, 2001) was aMexicandrug lord who founded and led theGulf Cartel for over 50 years. He is often considered the "godfather" of U.S–Mexico border cartels.[2]
He began his criminal career in the 1930s bysmuggling alcohol from Mexico during theProhibition in the United States. He later diversified to other cross-border smuggling activities. He is the uncle ofJuan García Ábrego, his successor in the cartel and once considered Mexico's most-wanted man.
During the 1930s he began smuggling whisky across theMexico–United States border through southTexas. Through shrewd political connections he had fostered, Nepomuceno Guerra was able to control all the contraband moving across theRio Grande.[3] In the 1970s, his nephewJuan García Abrego began utilizing those connections and developed the organization into a drug cartel primarily dedicated to the more lucrative business of smugglingcocaine.[4]
According to news sources, despite allegedly founding one of the largest drug cartels in Mexico, Juan Nepomuceno Guerra never spent more than "a few hours in jail" for his crimes.[5]
He died of respiratory disease.[2]
On June 18, 2015, theGovernor of TamaulipasEgidio Torre Cantú inaugurated a street under his name, "Juan N. Guerra", inReynosa, Tamaulipas. The street was inaugurated along with seven others and is located in the working-class neighborhood Reserva Territorial Campestre.[6][7]
InNarcos: Mexico, Juan Nepomuceno Guerra is played by the Mexican actorJesus Ochoa.[8]
