Eduardo Ravelo
| Eduardo Ravelo | |
|---|---|
 Age progression of Ravelo | |
| FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives | |
| Charges |
Racketeering, conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, Conspiracy to possess heroin, cocaine and marijuana with the intent to distribute |
| Alias | Tablas |
| Description | |
| Born |
October 13, 1968 Mexico |
| Nationality | Mexican |
| Status | |
| Added | October 20, 2009 |
| Number | 493 |
| Currently A Top Ten Fugitive | |
Eduardo "Richolm" Ravelo (born October 13, 1968) is a Mexican American leader of the Barrio Azteca gang. He is also a fugitive wanted on several charges related to drugs and organized crime. On October 20, 2009, he was named by the FBI as the 493rd fugitive to be placed on the Ten Most Wanted list.[1]
Background
Since 1994, Ravelo has cultivated relationships with some of the highest-ranking cartel members. He rose to power within the Barrio Aztecas because of his connections with the Juárez Cartel.[2]
In 2005, an informant and former Barrio Azteca lieutenant testified that Ravelo told him to help find fellow gang members who had stolen from the cartel. The informant testified that later he was taken to a house in El Paso, Texas, where a gang member's mouth, wrists and ankles were bound with duct tape. He was delivered to the Juarez cartel and never heard from again.[3]
In March 2008, he became the leader of the gang shortly after betraying his predecessor, stabbing him several times and shooting him in the neck.[2]
Ravelo and his gang members are allegedly hitmen for a Mexican drug cartel and are responsible for multiple homicides. Barrio Azteca has approximately 600 active members who engage in illegal activities such as arson, assault, auto theft, contract killing, extortion, illegal immigration, kidnapping, money laundering, murder, prostitution, racketeering, human and drug trafficking. Many of the members are in American and Mexican prisons and benefit from the gang's profits by having funds placed in their prison commissary accounts.[1]
Ravelo is originally from Mexico, but has permanent resident status in the United States, helping him to cross the Mexico – United States border. Ravelo is believed to be hiding with his wife and children in a Barrio Aztecas-controlled neighborhood in Ciudad Juárez, just across the border from El Paso, Texas. He is said to have bodyguards and armored vehicles to protect him from rival gangs and rival cartels.[2]
According to federal authorities, Ravelo may have altered his appearance by plastic surgery, and fingertips to disguise his fingerprints.[4]
Ravelo is considered armed and extremely dangerous. The FBI is currently offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to his capture.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 "New Top Ten Fugitive - Leader of Violent Barrio Azteca Gang". Federal Bureau of Investigation. October 20, 2009. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
- 1 2 3 "Alleged Hit man Changes Appearance, FBI Says". WIBW-TV. October 21, 2009. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
- ↑ Sherman, Christopher (May 2, 2010). "Mexican traffickers get help from US prison gangs". The Boston Globe. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
- ↑ Serrano, Richard A. (April 5, 2010). "He's called the face of Ciudad Juarez terror". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
External links
- Ravelo's FBI Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitive Alert
- Ravelo's profile on America's Most Wanted
- FBI press release announcing Ravelo's addition to the list