César Raúl Meza Torres (; 31 October 1991 – 25 April 2010), commonly referred to by his alias "El Mini 6", was a Mexican suspected assassin of the Sinaloa Cartel, a criminal group based in Sinaloa. He was the son of Raúl Meza Ontiveros (alias "El M6"), a leader of the Sinaloa Cartel. By the age of 15, Meza Torres aspired to be like his father and became involved in organized crime. He was popular on social media for posing in pictures with his weapons and for following his father's footsteps. Meza Torres' pictures later served as inspiration for other teenagers aspiring to join organized crime in Mexico.
His criminal career was short-lived, however. Meza Torres was killed at the age of eighteen following a routine traffic stop in Zapopan, Jalisco, on 25 April 2010. According to the police, Meza Torres and one of his accomplices were pulled over, but they tried to intimidate the policemen by flashing their weapons. When the officers ordered them to turn themselves in, Meza Torres killed one officer but was mortally wounded by another. He was taken to a private hospital and was pronounced dead that morning.
Early life and background
César Raúl Meza Torres was born in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico, on 31 October 1991. His birth certificate was registered in Cosalá, Sinaloa, on 7 February 1992. His parents were Raúl Meza Ontiveros (father) and Aida Elizabeth Torres Félix (mother). His father was reportedly a high-ranking leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, a criminal group based in Sinaloa. His mother was the sister of Javier Torres Félix (alias "El JT") and Manuel Torres Félix (alias "El M1"), who worked alongside his father. Meza Torres was often referred to by his alias El Mini 6, in reference to his father, whose alias was El M6. He was also nicknamed Raulillo and Raulito, diminutives of his middle name Raúl.
Many of Meza Torres' relatives were involved in drug trafficking just like his father. Several of Meza Torres' relatives, including his father, uncles, and cousins, have been killed by security forces, rival criminal groups, or arrested for their alleged involvement in organized crime. Meza Torres was also romantically involved with Teresa Zambada Niebla, sister of imprisoned Sinaloa Cartel leader Vicente Zambada Niebla (alias "El Vicentillo") and daughter of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, a high-ranking Sinaloa Cartel leader who his father and brother-in-laws reported to.
Criminal career
Since he was young, Meza Torres aspired to be like his father. By the age of 15, he got involved in the organized crime activities in the Sinaloa Cartel and began following his father's footsteps. He joined the Sinaloa Cartel as one of its young assassins. On social media, he had multiple pictures of himself posing with firearms; most of them were uploaded by him or his friends. His friends admired him and often commented on how he was poised to become as influential as his father. Meza Torres was popular on Facebook and , and his image later helped inspire other young Mexican boys to pursue careers as organized crime hit men.
On 9 October 2007, a few months after his father was killed, Meza Torres (aged 15) was pulled over by the transit police in Las Quintas neighborhood in Culiacán for driving an armored vehicle without license plates. He was subsequently arrested after not having paperwork that accredited him as the legal owner of the vehicle. He was a minor at that time and was with two other underage boys, Brayan Raúl Rodríguez Verdugo (aged 14) and Jesús Arley Pérez (aged 17). In the police report, Meza Torres address was in Villa Satélite neighborhood in Culiacán.
Meza Torres found himself in more legal trouble two years later. On 19 June 2009, he was drag racing in Las Quintas when the transit police showed up. When the police arrived at the scene and ordered the two vehicles to stop, several gunmen got off from their vehicles and began shooting at the officers. A shootout between the transit police and the assailants broke out. The gunmen eventually fled the scene and abandoned one of the two vehicles. When state authorities arrived at the location to investigate the crime scene, they discovered that the abandoned vehicle was owned by Meza Torres, and that there was a license plate inside the vehicle that corresponded to one reported as stolen. At the scene, they discovered FN 5.7×28mm (used for the FN Five-seven pistol), .223 Remington, .38 Super, and .45 ACP cartridges. One policeman was injured in the attack.