His first successful international performance was in 2006, when he won the silver medal in C-1 500 m and the gold medal in C-1 1000 m at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games. Later the same year, at the world championships, he surprisingly won the gold medal at C-1 1000 m, becoming the first Mexican to ever do this, and defeating race favorite and olympic medallist Andreas Dittmer, who finished second. For such performance he received the "Premio Nacional del Deporte" (National Sports Award), which is awarded annually by the Mexican Sports Committee ("CONADE" - in Spanish). In 2007, he won the gold medal both in C-1 500 m and C-1 1000 m at the 2007 Pan American Games.