In the brutal world of drug cartels and organized crime, there is an unwritten rule: absolute power brings brutal death. From Mexico to South Africa, kingpins who once stood at the pinnacle of power, running billion-dollar criminal empires, eventually faced a brutal reckoning, often from their own associates or rivals. Their lives, though rich and powerful, ended in violence, betrayal, and horrific deaths.

The stories of 10 gang bosses killed by other gangs are a chilling reminder of the nature of the underworld. One of the most shocking deaths was that of Adolfo Mendoza Valencia, also known as “El Micoano.” A high-ranking member of the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel, Valencia was captured by the rival Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Video of Valencia’s torture and interrogation, where he was forced to confess to extortion and murder, went viral before his body was found hanging from an overpass in Guanajuato. The brutality was not just an act of revenge, but also a powerful message, a display of power by the CJNG.

The death of Koki Kazarez in 2025 is another testament to the brutality of internal gang warfare. A financial operator for the Sinaloa Cartel’s “Los Chapitos” faction, Kazarez fell victim to a power struggle with the “La Mayiza” faction. His death was not just a murder, but a horrific spectacle: he was beheaded on camera, and his body was later displayed in front of a busy shopping mall in Culiacán. The act was intended not just to liquidate a rival, but also as a chilling warning to anyone who might consider betraying or challenging authority.

The story of Manuel Vilicana Pacheco, nicknamed “El Grande,” is no less tragic. A regional leader for the Los Salgero faction of the Sinaloa cartel, Vilicana Pacheco was assassinated shortly after his release from prison. This shows that, even after paying the price for your crimes, there is no safety or freedom in the underworld. Once you enter, the door to peace is forever closed.

Betrayal is also a recurring theme in these stories. Alias ​​Elcherry, a member of the Gulf Cartel’s Los Metros gang, was captured and executed by the rival Grupo Escorpion gang. Similarly, Carlos Enrique Sanchez Martinez, aka “El Cholo,” a former high-ranking member of the CJNG, created his own group and became enemies of the very people he once called his comrades. He was captured by the CJNG, forced to confess to being an informant, and then executed. The death of “El Cholo” is a clear example of the intolerance in the criminal world: once betrayed, there is no going back.

These stories are not limited to Mexico. Peter Jaggers, a gang leader in Cape Town, South Africa, paid the price for his greed. Jaggers, who acted as a middleman for international drug traffickers, made a fatal mistake: he stole a $50 million cocaine shipment from a Colombian cartel and the Bulgarian mafia. As a result, he was kidnapped and tortured to death. Jaggers’ death shows that the criminal world is a global network where the same rules of brutality apply consistently, regardless of nationality or location.

Some kingpin deaths are remembered in history as iconic battles. Arturo Beltrán Leyva, nicknamed “El Jefe de Jefes” (The King of Kings), leader of the Beltrán Leyva cartel, was killed in a gunfight with more than 200 Mexican marines. His death created a massive power vacuum, leading to unprecedented bloodshed and violence in the region. Similarly, Heriberto Lazcano, nicknamed “El Verdugo” (The Executioner), the supreme commander of Los Zetas, a paramilitary organization, was killed in a gunfight with the Mexican Navy. His body was stolen from the funeral home by a group of armed commandos, an act that shows the cult and fear he inspired even after death.

The story of Nazario Moreno Gonzalez, aka “El Más Loco,” leader of the Knights Templar cartel, is one of the strangest. He was officially declared dead in 2010, but was found alive for another three years before being killed in a shootout with Mexican marines in 2014. His death is a reminder of the unpredictability and near-immortality of the top brass in the criminal underworld.

And finally, José “El Chabello” Isabel, a regional leader for the Sinaloa cartel, was found dead in a shootout with police at a cockfighting arena in Colima. His death shows that there is no safe place for criminals, and payback can come at any time, anywhere.

These deaths are not isolated incidents; they are pieces of a larger picture of brutality and lawlessness. They are evidence of a world where loyalty is a luxury and death is inevitable. They show that, no matter how powerful, these criminals are ultimately victims of the world they created. And their deaths, however tragic, serve as a warning to anyone contemplating this path of crime.