Cartel Leader Francisco Rafael Arellano Felix Murdered By Gunman Dressed As A Clown

A former cartel leader was gunned down in California by an unsuspecting killer: gunman dressed as a clown. Former drug kingpin Francisco Rafael Arellano Felix, the previous leader of the Tijuana cartel, was vacationing with his family in a beach resort in Baja California in northwestern Mexico when he was shot by the clown dresded in a wig and round, red nose. "He was hit by two bullets, one in the chest and one in the head," Isai Arias, a Baja California state government official told the BBC. He was shot on Friday at 8 PM at the Casa Oceano holiday resort and the gunmen reportedly escaped in a four-wheel vehicle. Authorities are still searching for the gunmen and are trying to determine the motive.

Francisco Rafael Arellano Felix, 63, was the leader of a cartel that controls the drug trade on the Mexican and U.S. border. He was caught in 1993 and had to give up his empire; his sister Enedina took over the cartel while he was incarcerated and the cartel is currently run by her son Fernando, who is also known as "The Engineer." The former drug lord was released from prison in 2008. The Tijuana cartel is still a huge part in the drug world and has reportedly claimed more than 60,000 lives since 2006.

According to American authorities, Francisco Rafael Arellano Felix and his brother are "dashing, multimillionaire, savage criminals" who hailed from a modest family. They got their start in smuggling and transitioned to cocaine. Fun fact: The deceased drug lord also started a band called Los Escorpiones which played throughout Mexico. The scorpian became his trademark animal, as he wore a four-inch-long diamond-encrusted scorpian pendant aroundhis neck. In 1992, in an interview with El Noreste newspaper, Francisco Rafael Arellano Felix said he is "a fearless businessman, who risks a huge amount without the fear of losing everything".