US Fugitive Wanted in Arizona Since 2017 Arrested in Jalisco on Child Abuse Charges

Tequila, Jalisco — A 45-year-old U.S. citizen accused of leading an international network that produced and distributed child sexual abuse material was arrested in the Jalisco town of Tequila, authorities said.

Adalberto Rodríguez, known by the alias “El Chucky 69,” had been wanted in Arizona since April 2017 on sexual offenses against minors. He was tried in absentia in 2023 and sentenced to 50 years in prison.

Investigators had linked him to an organization suspected of operating in Guerrero and in the Jalisco municipalities of Chapala, Tequila and Puerto Vallarta. Outside Mexico, the alleged operations were traced to California and Texas, as well as to Canada, Haiti, Honduras and Colombia.

Rodríguez faced two counts of indecent exposure, 10 counts of sexual conduct with a minor under the age of 12 and one charge of continuous sexual abuse of a minor. Officials did not specify the current procedural status of those U.S. charges following his arrest in Mexico.

After confirming his identity, authorities transferred him to the National Migration Institute to continue proceedings for his return to the United States.

Located through cross-border intelligence

The arrest followed an exchange of information between Jalisco authorities and the U.S. Marshals Service. The state’s drone unit and cyber police cross-referenced data and carried out intelligence work to narrow down the area where the suspect was believed to be moving.

The operation was deployed in the Texcalame neighborhood of Tequila and involved members of the Strategic Operations Force for Citizen Protection and the Titán Aero-Tactical Squadron.

Officers identified a man matching Rodríguez’s description and approached him at the location. They detained him after confirming his identity.

Preliminary information indicated the suspect allegedly used articulated dolls based on a movie to draw the attention of children. Authorities did not disclose which film the dolls referenced or how the objects were allegedly used in Jalisco.