Carlos Landín Martínez

Carlos Landín Martínez (born – 9 December 2021), also known as El Puma, was a Mexican former police chief and convicted drug lord. He was a high-ranking member of the Gulf Cartel, a criminal group based in Tamaulipas, Mexico, and worked as the second-in-command of the cartel in Reynosa from 2005 to 2007. Landín Martínez was a trusted enforcer of the kingpin Gregorio Sauceda Gamboa. Among his responsibilities were managing international drug trafficking shipments from Tamaulipas to Texas, collecting taxes from independent traffickers who operated in his turf, and managing money laundering operations. Landín Martínez was also a commander in the Tamaulipas State Police, where he headed the homicide taskforce. According to a witness who testified against him in court, Landín Martínez worked for the Gulf Cartel while still employed by the state police.

In July 2007, Landín Martínez was arrested after being spotted by an off-duty U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent inside a supermarket in McAllen, Texas. He was charged with multiple counts of drug trafficking, conspiracy, and money laundering. In January 2008, he was found guilty of all counts and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, his sentence was later reduced. The case against Landín Martínez highlighted unprecedented levels of cooperation between local and federal authorities in the U.S. and Mexico. Since the case was built from a bottom-up approach, with low-level criminals providing authorities with information that led to their leadership, investigators stated that the case could potentially serve as a model for future organized crime cases.

Early life and career Carlos Landín Martínez was born in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico, in .