The Overrated Importance of “El 14”

The Overrated Importance of “El 14” - from mica

On the evening of September 8, in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Luis Javier Benítez Espinoza, known by his alias “El 14,” was fatally shot twice alongside a taxi stand on Boulevard Enrique Cabrera. He was one of the DEA’s top 5 most-wanted individuals. According to the limited information available, unknown assailants ambushed him as he was walking on the street.

It’s worth questioning El 14’s supposed significance. Despite being ranked fifth on the DEA’s most-wanted list, many aspects of his criminal career suggest that he was not as important as the DEA made him out to be. Benítez Espinoza was caught selling just $4,600 worth of fentanyl pills—hardly the operation of a top-tier trafficker connected to Chapitos.

Benítez Espinoza was involved in the movement of fentanyl from Mexico to the U.S., a drug that has led to a wave of deaths in the United States. However, it‘s known that Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, aka Chapito, explicitly ordered his men not to deal with fentanyl. El 14’s defiance of this order shows him as a reckless operative rather than a connected boss. His criminal activities seemed to be more about braggadocio, as he was heard claiming to work for the “Chapitos” and boasting about his dealings.

He was indeed connected to significant figures like Chapito and “El Panu,” but these connections appear tenuous at best, undermined by his reckless actions and blatant disobedience. Within a week of the U.S. government updating his most-wanted status, Benítez Espinoza was executed in Culiacán, possibly due to his inflated claims and reckless behavior. More than likely, Iván removed a potential rat.

The DEA’s ranking of El 14 as the fifth most-wanted, was due to bragging rather than his actual importance in the Sinaloa Cartel. It’s likely that his placement on such a list was his death warrant, making him a higher priority target for his own cartel, given his disobedience and reckless actions.

Thanks for reading! Mica