Why a Mexican Cartel Capo Turned Himself in to the United States
‘It’s cool to be a narcotrafficker, because you have money, because you have followers, but when someone wants to behead you, you’re going to turn yourself in.’
via Instagram
Notorious cartel leader—and shameless social media showoff—Dámaso López Serrano walked across the U.S. border at California’s Calexico Port of Entry on July 27 and promptly surrendered himself to customs officers. Dámaso, 29, goes by the alias “Mini Lic.” He’s also “believed to be the highest-ranking Mexican cartel leader ever to self-surrender in the U.S.,” according to the Department of Justice.
Dámaso was the leader of one branch of the Sinaloa cartel, Mexico’s largest crime group. And he was never reluctant to let people know just how insanely rich and powerful he was. Like many of the next-gen cartel leaders who call themselves “narco juniors,” Dámaso was fond of posting pictures of himself with gold-plated firearms, tasteless bling, and beautiful women.
The days of taking selfies with his pet cheetah are over for now, however, since he was arraigned in U.S. federal court this week on multiple indictments for drug charges dating back to 2016.