Rodrigo Carlos Pérez Morales, also known as El Sueño, was the leader of the Santa Blanca Drug Cartel in 2019.
History
Despite his major role in the development of the Santa Blanca Cartel in Bolivia, little is known about the history of El Sueño (The Dream). Even his real name was unknown (at least right now we know him as Roberto Carlos Pérez Morales). Only the legend survives: a little boy leaving his Mexican village at the age of 11 with the ambition of becoming a king.
El Sueño started at the age of 12 as a sicario (hitman) for the cartel. A few years later, he had a vision of La Tierra Sagrada, the Holy Land. After the recruitment of Nidia Flores, one of the most prominent smuggling specialists, he decided to move the Santa Blanca Cartel to the very source of its trafficking: Bolivia.
His ambition was to show his people “the truth” he received from the Santa Muerte. He wrote a new bible for his followers telling the blessed story of the Santa Blanca Cartel.
In 2008 at the age of 31, he formally founded the cartel.
Brutal and religious, he is a brilliant leader. Insightful and reflective, he instills loyalty in those he meets. The cartel builds schools and churches and offers jobs for those who follow their leader. However, none should ever try to challenge him when he could become incredibly vicious.
When he first brought Santa Blanca to Bolivia, El Sueño offered the civilians a choice: "Silver, or lead": either they work for him, or he will kill everyone they love.
El Sueño is a man of many contradictions: religious and violent, charitable and brutal. A man who openly admits to committing mass murder but claims he never lies about anything, ever.
Operation Kingslayer
After Ricky Sandoval's cover was blown, both the military and the intelligence community of the United States launched Operation Kingslayer to disrupt the cartel.
A Ghost Recon team was sent in and started uncovering intelligence and blowing up caches.
After the team broke the first pillar, El Sueño had a message put up on a Santa Blanca website asking to meet. Nomad agreed to go to the rendezvous to kill the head, but they just found an abandoned location and four cars: a "down payment" on their employment. El Sueño called the Ghosts and offered them the chance to work for him, but Nomad turned him down and swore they would kill the man.
After the second pillar was disrupted, Pac Katari contacts the Ghost team and tell them El Sueño has been spotted in Bolivia. The rebel sends the team to a meeting point, only for them to find the dead body of a rebel they had rescued earlier. Pac knocks out agent Bowman and goes to confront El Sueño himself as part of his country's glory.
However, the cartel head overpowers and kills the rebel. When the Ghosts catch up, he shows them Pac's head. As they move in, agent Bowman receives a call from her superiors - El Sueño has made a deal with the Department of Justice. Full immunity in exchange for giving up other cartel heads.
As El Sueño asks for Bowman to take him in, she shoots him in the back, then walks up to him and shoots him in the head three times, refusing his immunity in response to all the crimes he has committed and the fear he might evolve into a dictator. The agent is then sentenced for life imprisonment but doesn't regret what she has done. The cartel El Sueño worked so hard to build is splintered into smaller cartels who start to fight each other.
If the Ghosts have destabilized 100% of the cartel, Bowman complies with her superiors and brings El Sueño into custody. El Sueño (now known as Confidential Informant #38726B) is placed in a CIA Witness Security Program in Pinecrest, Florida. His information help with locating and capturing various drug dealers and weapon smugglers. Bowman speculates in her After Action Report of Operation Kingslayer that once the list of targets is exhausted, El Sueño will be extradited to Mexico (or simply disappear) and will attempt to form a new and stronger cartel in another South American country. Bowman claims that she and the Ghosts will be waiting for El Sueño if he does.
Behind the scenes
- He is played by Esteban Cueto.
- The first El Sueño mission - the rendezvous - is unlocked after taking out the first operation head.
- The next mission is unlocked after the second pillar is completed.
- Finishing all four operations unlocks an alternate ending.
- Defeating El Sueño will reward the player with 10 skill points and the ¡SILENCIO!, a unique variant of the SASG-12 shotgun.
Trivia
- "Plata o plomo" ("Silver or lead") was the moniker which real-life Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar became known for and summarized his approach to the authorities- either accept bribes to look the other way or die. Escobar also became famous for over 60 charity projects for his native Medellín, something that he also has in common with El Sueño.
- He is 218.44cm (7'2) tall.
- El Sueño may also be based on the real-life ex-drug lord and leader of the disbanded Guadalajara Cartel, Rafael Caro Quintero. Known as the “Narco of narcos,” in 1978, he ordered the torture and murder of DEA agent Enrique Camarena Salazar and was later apprehended in Costa Rica. He was then extradited to Mexico, and sentenced to 40 years in prison. He was released early after 29 years but now sits on the FBI’s Top Ten most wanted list with the current highest bounty of $20,000,000 USD. Also similar to El Sueño, he was a noted philanthropist, financing a 25-mile long highway in his hometown of Badiraguato, Sinaloa, and funding several projects to improve quality of life.
- el sueno translates to “big drug man” in english