ADELANTO, CALIFORNIA — Felipe Cabrera Sarabia, widely known by his alias 'El Inge', has officially finished serving his federal prison term in the United States. A former high-ranking operator for the Sinaloa Cartel under the leadership of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, the 56-year-old was released from federal prison custody on September 4, according to official records from the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
In August 2023, U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman of the Northern District of Illinois sentenced Cabrera Sarabia to 128 months in prison following a guilty plea to heroin trafficking charges. However, his final prison duration accounted for a 102-month credit reflecting the time he had already spent incarcerated in Mexico following his initial arrest in December 2011. His formal extradition process to face American justice took nine and a half years to complete.
Because Cabrera Sarabia holds neither U.S. citizenship nor permanent residency status, he was immediately taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) upon his release. Official immigration registries confirm that he is currently detained at a processing facility in Adelanto, San Bernardino County, California, located northeast of Los Angeles, where administrative procedures for his deportation back to Mexico are underway.
"Federal court rulings against Cabrera Sarabia also included a forfeiture order amounting to $715,000, though public records do not confirm whether the funds were collected by the U.S. Treasury."
Prior to his apprehension, Cabrera Sarabia led a major criminal faction within the Pacific cartel structure, an organization originally established alongside three of his brothers. One sibling, Luis Alberto Cabrera, known as 'El Arqui', was killed during a confrontation with the Mexican Army in 2012.
As detailed in his plea agreement submitted to the Illinois court, 'El Inge' oversaw extensive heroin distribution operations in 2008 directed by "El Mayo" Zambada. These illicit activities involved twin brothers Pedro and Margarito Flores, who operated as key distributors for the Sinaloa Cartel across Hispanic neighborhoods in Chicago.
Law enforcement experts and legal observers note that Cabrera Sarabia was previously acquitted of his formal criminal charges within the Mexican judicial system. Consequently, Mexican authorities currently report no active warrants or open judicial proceedings that would justify a re-arrest upon his return to national territory.
Recent news from the United States, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Latin America, and the world.