Yulan Adonay Archaga Carias

Yulan Adonay Archaga Carias (born February 13, 1982) is a Honduran fugitive, drug lord, and a suspected leader of the MS-13 gang in Honduras who was added to the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list on November 3, 2021.[1] He is wanted for racketeering, narcotics trafficking, and firearms offenses.[2] Archaga Carias is allegedly in charge of MS-13 for all of Honduras and is believed to be providing firearms, narcotics, and cash to gang members who are operating within the United States. He is also believed to be responsible for ordering the murders of rival gang members. Authorities believe he is still in Honduras.[3]

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Archaga and the second or maternal family name is Carias.
Yulan Adonay Archaga Carias
FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive
Charges
  • Racketeering Conspiracy (RICO)
  • Cocaine Importation Conspiracy
  • Possession of Machine Guns
  • Conspiracy to Possess Machine Guns
Reward$5,000,000
AliasAlexander Mendoza
Yulan Andony Archaga Carias
"Porky"
Description
Born (1982-02-13) February 13, 1982
or (1982-01-21) January 21, 1982
San Pedro Sula, Cortés Department, Honduras
NationalityHonduran
GenderMale
Height5 ft 5 in (165 cm)
Weight160 lb (73 kg)
Status
AddedNovember 3, 2021
Number526
Currently a Top Ten Fugitive

In 2021, Archaga Carias became the 526th fugitive to be placed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. He replaced American fugitive Robert William Fisher, who was removed from the list for no longer meeting the list criteria.[4] The FBI offered a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to his capture.[5]

On February 8, 2023, the United States federal government ramped up pressure on Archaga Carias. The United States Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs offered a reward offer of $5 million USD through its Narcotics Rewards Program.[6] The same day, the United States Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control announced his sanctioning through placement on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List pursuant to Executive Order 13581.[7]

Conviction in Honduras and escape

Arrested in 2015, Archaga Carías was imprisoned in Honduras after being convicted of money laundering and illicit association.[8]

On February 13, 2020, Archaga Carías left prison to attend a court hearing in the city of El Progreso, some 28 kilometers from San Pedro Sula. He was transported by van, not by helicopter, as was the norm. Barely any security guards accompanied him, and the military police were not given prior notice, as protocol dictates when such a high-profile inmate is in on the move. Upon arriving at the courthouse in the city of El Progreso, northern Honduras, an MS13 squad barged in and helped him escape in a hail of bullets.[9]

Security footage shows two groups of men dressed in military police uniforms arriving on the scene. The first group was escorting a man in handcuffs, a false prisoner used as a decoy. The second was escorting a man dressed in a black tunic that is generally used to protect the identity of a witness or victim. This time, it was used to hide weapons and ammunition.[9]

Indictment in New York

In 2021 the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York indicted Archaga Carias for charges related to racketeering, narcotics smuggling, and the use of firearms.[10]

Following his indictment, Archaga Carias became the 526th fugitive to be placed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. He replaced American fugitive Robert William Fisher, who was removed from the list for no longer meeting the list criteria.[4] The FBI offered a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to his capture.[5]

In 2022, the FBI devoted an episode of its podcast and YouTube series Inside the FBI to Archaga Carias and MS-13.[11][12]

Treasury sanctions

The United States Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control announced his sanctioning through placement on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List pursuant to Executive Order 13581.[7] The sanctions block Archaga Carias's property, and U.S. persons conducting business with him face prosecution under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.[13]

State Department reward

On February 8, 2023, the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs announced a $5 million USD reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Archaga Carias.[6] The Bureau made the announcement a video recorded in both English and Spanish and distributed on its YouTube account.[14][15]

See also

References
  1. "Yulan Adonay Archaga Carias". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  2. "Leader Of MS-13 In Honduras And Drug Supplier For MS-13 Charged In Manhattan Federal Court With Racketeering, Narcotics Trafficking, And Firearms Offenses". United States Department of Justice. November 3, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  3. "Alleged MS-13 Leader Added to FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List". Federal Bureau of Investigation. November 3, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  4. "FBI removes Arizona man from most wanted fugitive list". Associated Press. November 3, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  5. "Leader of MS-13 in Honduras Added to the FBI's List of Ten Most Wanted Fugitives". Federal Bureau of Investigation. November 3, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  6. Price, Ned (2023-02-08). "Department of State Announces Reward Offers for Information Leading to Arrest and/or Conviction of MS-13 Leader in Honduras". State.gov.
  7. "Treasury Sanctions MS-13-Affiliates for Drug Trafficking and Contract Killings in Central America and the United States". U.S. Department of the Treasury. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  8. Asmann, Parker (2021-11-05). "Is the MS13 in Honduras Expanding its Role in the Regional Drug Trade?". InSight Crime. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  9. Dalby, Chris (2022-01-19). "How the MS13 Became Lords of the Trash Dump in Honduras". InSight Crime. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  10. "Indictment" (PDF), United States of America v. Yulan Andony Archaga Carias (Court Filing), S.D.N.Y., vol. No. 1:21-cr-00321, no. Docket 3, 2021-09-21, retrieved 2023-02-08 – via Recap (PACER current docket viewPaid subscription required)
  11. "Inside the FBI | Top Ten Fugitive Yulan Adonay Archaga Carias". Inside the FBI. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  12. Inside the FBI Podcast: Top Ten Fugitive Yulan Adonay Archaga Carias, retrieved 2023-02-09
  13. Wemer, David (2019-09-22). "Sanctions explained: How a foreign policy problem becomes a sanctions program". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  14. Department of State Announces Reward Offers for MS-13 Leader in Honduras (in Spanish), retrieved 2023-02-08
  15. Department of State Announces Reward Offers for MS-13 Leader in Honduras, retrieved 2023-02-08

 This article incorporates text by Juan Jose Martinez D'Aubuisson available under the CC BY 3.0 license.  This article incorporates text by Parker Asmann available under the CC BY 3.0 license.

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