In a new development in a Southlake murder case, José Rodolfo “El Gato” Villarreal-Hernández, a notorious Mexican cartel leader, has been arrested and extradited to the United States.
Villarreal-Hernández, the alleged mastermind behind the brazen killing of an American government informant, could appear in a Texas federal court as early as Friday. The man, believed to be the head of the Beltrán Leyva Drug Trafficking Organization, was one of 29 prisoners transferred from Mexican to American authorities on Thursday, according to a press release from Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office.
“As President Trump has made clear, cartels are terrorist groups, and this Department of Justice is devoted to destroying cartels and transnational gangs,” Bondi said in the press release.
The murder of focus took place in broad daylight on May 22, 2013, at the Southlake Town Square. Juan Jesús Guerrero-Chapa, a husband and father of three, was ambushed and executed in his car while returning from a shopping trip with his wife. According to a report from NBC 5 DFW, multiple masked assailants pulled up alongside the vehicle and opened fire, killing Guerrero-Chapa in a cold, calculated attack.
It wasn’t until later that investigators revealed Guerrero-Chapa had a secret life as a U.S. government informant. The father of three had once been the personal lawyer for the notorious Gulf Cartel’s former leader, and his cooperation with federal authorities had put him in the crosshairs of the criminal organization. The FBI revealed that Guerrero-Chapa had been stalked for more than a year prior to his execution by members of the cartel group responsible for his death, reported NBC.
The alleged ringleader of this operation was none other than Villarreal-Hernández, who is believed to have held a personal vendetta against Guerrero-Chapa. Authorities allege that Villarreal-Hernández orchestrated the murder-for-hire operation, which ultimately led to Guerrero-Chapa’s death.
Mexican authorities’ arrest of Villarreal-Hernández in 2023 was a significant step forward in the investigation. He had been on the FBI’s Most Wanted list for years, making him one of the most wanted cartel figures by the agency.
Earlier this week, Villarreal-Hernández was finally extradited to the United States to face charges related to the murder and his role in organized crime. In addition to his alleged involvement in Guerrero-Chapa’s murder, Villarreal-Hernández is also suspected of being behind several other murders in Mexico, according to law enforcement officials.