ICE’s Top 10 Most Wanted in America

ICE’s Top 10 Most Wanted in America.

When a violent cartel leader is brought to justice, it’s not just a victory for law enforcement; it’s a testament to the complex, global collaboration required to fight crime in the 21st century.

While the FBI’s “Most Wanted” list captures national headlines, the “Most Wanted” list from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) provides an even more revealing snapshot of this new frontier.

It is here, at the intersection of international crime and U.S. immigration enforcement, that the most complex legal and jurisdictional battles are fought.

These fugitives aren’t merely names on a list; they represent the evolving challenges facing U.S. prosecutors and policymakers.

From narco-trafficking to brutal violence, the charges against them underscore how the legal system must now confront crimes that transcend national boundaries, raising critical questions of justice, extradition, and due process.

 The Top 10 ICE Fugitives of 2025: A Deep Dive

The individuals below are drawn from ICE’s current “Most Wanted” list. While ICE doesn’t rank them, they are presented here in order of the threat they pose to U.S. national security and public safety, based on the severity of their alleged crimes and their ties to organized crime networks.

1. Yulan Andony Archaga Carias, a.k.a. “Porky”

   The Threat: As the alleged leader of MS-13 in Honduras, Porky is a primary target. His network is wanted for a litany of federal crimes, including racketeering, drug trafficking, firearms offenses, and organized crime. His case exemplifies the U.S.’s focus on dismantling the command and control of transnational gangs, which operate with a level of structure and violence typically associated with military groups.

2. Jesús Alfonso Guzmán Salazar & Ivan Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar

   The Threat: Sons of notorious drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, these brothers are accused of inheriting and continuing leadership of the Sinaloa Cartel. Their status as key figures in a multibillion-dollar narcotics enterprise, heavily involved in the deadly U.S. fentanyl crisis, makes them top-tier targets. Their indictments illustrate the use of complex Continuing Criminal Enterprise (CCE) statutes (21 U.S.C. § 848) to prosecute cartel leaders who orchestrate vast criminal networks from abroad.

3. The Salgueiro-Nevarez Brothers: Ruperto, Jose, and Heriberto

   The Threat: As key leaders of a powerful faction within the Sinaloa Cartel, the Salgueiro-Nevarez brothers are at the forefront of cross-border smuggling operations. They are charged with international conspiracy to distribute narcotics, including marijuana, cocaine, and fentanyl. Their cases highlight the critical role of family networks in maintaining control of criminal enterprises and the challenges of dismantling them, often requiring multiple extradition requests from Mexican authorities.

4. Luis Rodriguez-Jacobo & Santos Moreira

   The Threat: Both men have prior convictions for manslaughter and are now wanted for removal. Their cases represent a recurring and contentious issue for the U.S. legal system: the treatment of previously convicted criminal aliens who have re-entered the country. This raises the legal question of whether a prior criminal sentence and subsequent deportation are sufficient punishment, or if their unauthorized re-entry warrants further, more severe penalties under statutes like 8 U.S.C. § 1326, which criminalizes illegal re-entry after removal.

5. Julian Bocanegra-Lupian & Julio Valencia-Valencia

   The Threat: Wanted for serious immigration violations after prior removal orders, these individuals represent the foundational mission of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Their cases, while not tied to major international cartels, are crucial to upholding the integrity of U.S. immigration law. Bocanegra-Lupian, for instance, is a convicted felon who has been deported multiple times but is believed to have re-entered the country, showcasing the persistent challenge of enforcing deportation orders.

The Broader Legal Landscape: A Globalized Era of Crime

The individuals on this list serve as case studies for three key legal and policy challenges:

• Extradition and Jurisdiction: The U.S. relies heavily on international treaties to bring cartel leaders to justice. However, these treaties are not always enforced swiftly or effectively by foreign governments, sometimes due to political pressure or corruption. This can turn U.S. indictments into symbolic gestures rather than instruments of justice, highlighting the limits of U.S. sovereignty abroad.
• Due Process and “Most Wanted” Branding: For defense counsel, the public designation of their client as “Most Wanted” can significantly compromise the presumption of innocence. Critics argue this type of pretrial publicity can influence jury pools, a concern that courts must balance against the public’s right to information and law enforcement’s need for assistance.
• Sentencing and Immigration: The cases involving violent offenders like those with manslaughter convictions reveal the tension between criminal sentencing and immigration law. The question remains: should deportation be viewed as a separate administrative action, or does it function as a secondary punishment layered on top of a criminal sentence, potentially complicating due process and sentencing considerations?

As transnational crime grows more complex, the boundaries of U.S. criminal law are continuously expanding. Each name on the ICE “Most Wanted” list represents a collision between public safety, national sovereignty, and the foundational principles of due process, shaping the future of global law enforcement.

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