This is a good article. Click here for more information.

1999 Matamoros standoff

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1999 Matamoros standoff
Tamaulipas en México.svg
State of Tamaulipas in Mexico
Date9 November 1999
2:30 p.m. (approximately)
Location
Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico
Caused by
  • Spying on Gulf Cartel properties
Goals
  • Capture of Gulf Cartel informant
  • Intimidate the two U.S. agents
MethodsArmed standoff
Resulted in
  • U.S. agents and informant allowed to return to Brownsville, Texas, U.S.
  • Major law enforcement efforts against the Gulf Cartel and its leaders
Parties to the civil conflict
  • Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
  • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
  • Policia Federal Preventiva
  • Gulf Cartel
  • Matamoros Municipal Police (suspected)
  • Tamaulipas State Police (suspected)
Lead figures
Joe DuBois (DEA)
Daniel Fuentes (FBI)		 Osiel Cárdenas Guillén
Number
3
≈15
Casualties and losses
0
0

On 9 November 1999, two agents from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were threatened at gunpoint and nearly killed in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, by gunmen of the Gulf Cartel, a criminal group based in the area. The two agents traveled to Matamoros with an informant to gather intelligence on the operations of the Gulf Cartel. As they cruised through one of the properties owned by the criminal group, they noticed several vehicles following them. The agents were forced to a stop and were corralled by a convoy of eight vehicles, from which fifteen gunmen emerged and surrounded the agents' car. Some of them wore uniforms of the local police. Among the gunmen was the former kingpin Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, who recognized the informant and ordered the three of them to get out of their vehicle.

Fearing torture and interrogation, the agents agreed they would not allow the Gulf Cartel to take them alive. They decided their best chance of survival was to talk their way out of the incident. The agents repeatedly refused to comply with Cárdenas Guillén's orders and tried to reason with him that killing U.S. federal agents would result in a massive manhunt by the U.S. government. The incident escalated; profanities were exchanged and the gunmen prepared to shoot but Cárdenas Guillén ordered them to hold fire. One of the agents had a concealed handgun next to his thigh and was planning to kill Cárdenas Guillén if the gunmen opened fire. After twenty minutes, Cárdenas Guillén allowed the agents and the informant to return to Brownsville, Texas, U.S., and threatened to kill them if they ever returned.

The standoff triggered a massive law enforcement effort to crack down on the leadership structure of the Gulf Cartel. Cárdenas Guillén, who was previously regarded as a minor player in the international drug trade, became one of the most-wanted criminals in the world. The FBI and the DEA mounted numerous charges against him and issued a US$2 million bounty for his arrest. He was arrested in 2003 and extradited to the U.S. in 2007, where he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for drug trafficking, money laundering, and assaulting U.S. federal agents. He was also ordered to forfeit US$50 million, a small portion of what U.S. authorities believe he made in the Gulf Cartel. Several Gulf Cartel members involved in the standoff were also eventually arrested and convicted.

Background[]

The Gulf Cartel, a drug cartel based in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, was founded in the 1930s by Juan Nepomuceno Guerra.[1][2] It initially smuggled alcohol and other illegal goods into the U.S. but grew significantly in the 1970s under the leadership of kingpin Juan García Ábrego.[3] By forming alliances with Colombian drug traffickers, García Ábrego coordinated marijuana and cocaine shipments into the U.S. and helped consolidate the Gulf Cartel as a multibillion-dollar criminal enterprise.[4] In 1996, he was arrested and extradited to the U.S., where he was sentenced to eleven life sentences.[5] Without a clear leadership, the Gulf Cartel underwent internal strife.[6] Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, a low-level drug dealer, rose through the ranks of the cartel as other leaders were arrested or killed in the infighting.[7][8] In mid-1999,[9] Cárdenas Guillén ordered the murder of his friend (alias "El Chava"),[10] the last man in line in the Gulf Cartel's leadership structure. With Gómez Herrera's death, Cárdenas Guillén consolidated himself as the top leader of the Gulf Cartel.[11] To protect himself from rival gangsters and security forces,[12] Cárdenas Guillén formed a private army known as Los Zetas, which consisted of former military officials.[13] Unlike García Ábrego, Cárdenas Guillén did not enjoy the same level of protection and favoritism from government networks, and consolidated his power through the use of violence.[14]

Previous operations[]

In August 1996, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) launched an anti-drug investigation known as that initially targeted Mexico's Juárez Cartel and Amado Carrillo Fuentes.[15] During the operation's second phase dubbed Operation Impunity I in January 1998, the DEA focused on the Juárez Cartel's drug corridors in Tamaulipas and South Texas, where the Gulf Cartel was based. The DEA suspected Cárdenas Guillén was the leading crime figure in the Matamoros corridor and was working closely with the Juárez Cartel.[16] In 1998, the DEA opened an investigation known as with the intention of arresting him. Undercover agents met Cárdenas Guillén in person at least twice.[17] On 9 June 1999,[a][16] Cárdenas Guillén threatened to kill Abraham Rodríguez,[19] an undercover Cameron County Sheriff's Office investigator working with the U.S. Customs Service in Brownsville. The undercover agent refused to deliver a 988 kg (2,178 lb) load of marijuana on behalf of the Gulf Cartel.[20]

Logo of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which began operations against the Gulf Cartel

The Mexican and U.S. governments signed an agreement in 1998 prohibiting undercover work by U.S. officials in Mexican territory without the explicit approval and supervision of the Mexican government.[21] Until then, most of the undercover operations in Mexico were often conducted by U.S. officials without the authorization or knowledge of the Mexican government.[22] The agreement did not instruct U.S. officials how they should defend themselves when facing threats. One anonymous U.S. official confirmed the agents were armed during the standoff, although he stated that they never flashed or used their weapons. Other U.S. officials refused to comment on whether or not the agents were armed during the standoff. When the standoff occurred, it was illegal for the U.S. officials to conduct law enforcement operations or carry their firearms into Mexico.[21]

In 1998, Juan Raúl Bermúdez Núñez, a journalist from El Diario de Matamoros who accompanied the two agents in Matamoros, became an informant for the DEA and the FBI.[b] He contacted the agencies and asked them to help him become a protected witness. Bermúdez Núñez had interviewed Cárdenas Guillén at his newspaper offices a few months before the standoff; in the interview, Cárdenas Guillén said he was the leader of the Gulf Cartel and threatened to kill Bermúdez Núñez. The journalist also wrote an article describing Cárdenas Guillén's ordering of the killing of Gómez Herrera. After the interview was published, Cárdenas Guillén gained the nickname "El Mata Amigos" (The Friend Killer). The Gulf Cartel had tried to bribe Bermúdez Núñez multiple times to prevent him from releasing articles about its organized crime activities.[24] According to Bermúdez Núñez, the head representative of the newspaper, Mario Díaz, met with Cárdenas Guillén, his lawyer Galo Gaspar Pérez Canales, and Gulf Cartel member Víctor Manuel Vázquez Mireles to discuss bribery payments. They offered the newspaper US$500 a month to stop publishing about the Gulf Cartel.[25] Bermúdez Núñez said he never accepted their money.[24]

In October 1999, a month before the standoff, federal agents confirmed the links between the Juárez Cartel and the Gulf Cartel, and extended their law enforcement efforts to both groups under Operation Impunity II, the third phase of Operation Limelight.[16] Most of the operation's focus was in the border cities Reynosa and Matamoros, where the Gulf Cartel had a stronghold. They confirmed that Cárdenas Guillén had united remnants of the Carrillo Fuentes' organization and those who once reported to former Gulf Cartel leader García Ábrego.[26] Operation Cazadores continued mostly as an undercover operation against Cárdenas Guillén;[27] it included support from the U.S. Customs Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the DEA, the , the , the Texas Department of Public Safety, and Mexico's Attorney General's Office (PGR).[15]

Standoff[]

At around 2:30 p.m. on 9 November 1999,[21] DEA and FBI agents Joe DuBois and Daniel Fuentes traveled to Matamoros to gather intelligence on the operations of the Gulf Cartel.[28][29] DuBois was based in the DEA office at the in Monterrey, Nuevo León, and Fuentes worked at the DEA offices in Houston, Texas.[29] They picked up their informant and collaborator, Bermúdez Núñez, at a restaurant close to the Gateway International Bridge.[23] The agents drove a white Ford Bronco bearing diplomatic plates through the streets of Matamoros.[30] The informant gave the two agents a tour of the houses where several Gulf Cartel members lived and of the stash houses they used to keep drugs before they were transported to the U.S.[29][31] They reached La Aurora neighborhood, where Cárdenas Guillén lived, and tried to take pictures of his pink-colored mansion. Within moments, they noticed a Lincoln Continental, which was followed by a second vehicle, following them.[29] The agents called the DEA offices in Houston using their mobile telephone and asked them to investigate the Texan license plates of a cherry-red Explorer, one of the vehicles that was following them. The DEA confirmed the vehicle was stolen.[23] The persecution continued in Matamoros' streets but the agents' car was cut off by three vehicles and forced to stop.[29] Within moments, they were surrounded by a caravan of eight vehicles.[21]

Location of Matamoros, Tamaulipas (red spot) within Mexico

According to the federal agents, up to fifteen Gulf Cartel gunmen carrying AK-47s, AR-15s, and .45-caliber pistols left their vehicles and surrounded the agents.[26][32] Some of them wore police uniforms,[33] and the agents suspected that several of the gunmen were from the or the Tamaulipas State Police.[34] The incident occurred a few blocks away from the city's police station.[35] The Gulf Cartel blockaded the road on which the agents were corralled while other men in police uniforms helped direct traffic in another direction.[36] The agents tried asking Tamaulipas State Police commander Gilberto García Garza through their cellphone to call for backup,[23] but they claimed the commander took no action even though he was reportedly monitoring the incident over the telephone.[c][34] DuBois and Fuentes recognized they were outnumbered and surrounded; they briefly discussed the situation and agreed they would not allow the Gulf Cartel to kidnap them. "[Fuentes] and I decided, if we are going to die, we are going to die here", DuBois said in an interview. Both agents made this decision after considering their options and recognizing they would likely be kidnapped, tortured, and interrogated before being killed. "I knew what they'd do to me. I'd seen many pictures of the bodies [the Gulf Cartel] leave behind", DuBois said. They decided the only viable option was to try to talk their way out of the incident.[38]

Cárdenas Guillén stepped out of a white Jeep Cherokee and walked towards the agents' car.[39] Cárdenas Guillén had a Colt pistol with a golden grip on his belt and was carrying a gold-plated AK-47.[40] When he got to the car, he recognized the informant and ordered the agents to get out and hand him over.[21][36] "Get off the car you sons of a bitches. I am going to kill you", Cárdenas Guillén yelled.[23] The agents refused. Fuentes flashed his FBI badge but Cárdenas Guillén began slurring profanities at them and threatened to shoot them if they did not comply.[36] At one point during the heated discussion, Cárdenas Guillén held his weapon to Fuentes' head.[35] When the agents refused to concede, Cárdenas Guillén asked them to surrender the informant only, but the agents refused again. Cárdenas Guillén told the agents he did not care that they were U.S. federal agents, but DuBois told him he would regret his decision for the rest of his life if he decided to hurt them.[36] "I told him, 'Think it over, man. There is no way that you will be able to hide anywhere. [The U.S. government will] come get you'", DuBois said. He reminded Cárdenas Guillén of the manhunt that followed after DEA agent Kiki Camarena was killed by drug traffickers in Mexico in 1985.[d][38] "You are fixing to make 300,000 enemies", DuBois said. The agents employed this strategy because they recognized appeals to morality would not work against Cárdenas Guillén, but appeals to self-preservation would likely persuade him to let them go.[42] DuBois also did this to stand tough against Cárdenas Guillén and his henchmen, but also to prevent Cárdenas Guillén from having to face embarrassment in front of his men.[36]

DuBois and Fuentes had a second option in case the gunmen attempted to kill them. Fuentes had a handgun next to his thigh and was planning to kill Cárdenas Guillén if the gunmen decided to shoot them. "Unless they got [Fuentes] in a head shot, [Cárdenas Guillén] was coming with us", DuBois said.[36] The gunmen raised their guns in firing position but Cárdenas Guillén told them to hold fire and allowed the agents and the informant to leave. "You fucking gringos," he yelled. "This is my town, so get the fuck out here before I kill all of you. Don't ever come back", Cárdenas Guillén told them. The gunmen and Cárdenas Guillén returned to their vehicles and the agents headed back to Brownsville, Texas.[36][24] The gunmen followed the agents to the border.[43] Once in the U.S., they telephoned top government officials from both countries, who were coincidentally in a meeting in Washington D.C. that day.[21] The following day, Cárdenas Guillén celebrated the standoff by hosting a party with his henchmen at a local taco restaurant in Matamoros.[44]

Manhunt[]

Wanted poster of Osiel Cárdenas Guillén offering a US$2 million bounty

After the standoff, the U.S. government increased its law enforcement efforts to crack down on the leadership of the Gulf Cartel and made significant efforts to apprehend Cárdenas Guillén. Prior to the incident, he was a not regarded as a key player in the organized crime scene but his involvement in the standoff increased his notability.[45] He was eventually placed on the list of the FBI and the DEA ten most-wanted list, and was accused of international drug trafficking and assault.[46] The DEA called the standoff one of the "most serious" incidents in Mexico since the murder of Camarena, and highlighted the vulnerabilities U.S. officials face in Mexico while on duty.[34] They drew similarities with Camarena's murder because several policemen were also believed to have been involved in the standoff.[32] Mexican officials stated that the involvement of the police in the standoff was not confirmed but that they were investigating the incident exhaustively.[21] The DEA stated it was worried about the safety of its agents in Mexico and confirmed the Mexican government was working closely with it to apprehend the perpetrators.[32] Days after the standoff, the DEA purchased several armored vehicles in the U.S. and sent them to Mexico for its agents stationed there.[47]

The U.S. government also pressured Mexico to intensify its efforts to apprehend Cárdenas Guillén.[45] Because the agents were nearly killed, the incident created tensions in Mexico–United States relations.[48] Mexico's attorney general Jorge Madrazo Cuéllar and PGR anti-drug chief met with the U.S. presidential cabinet hours later and discussed the incident. They did not recognize Cárdenas Guillén's name and asked another PGR anti-drug chief, José Luis Santiago Vasconcelos, for reports on his background. The records they retrieved stated he was a low-level criminal. President Ernesto Zedillo (1994–2000) acted on the U.S.'s request and sent the Mexican Armed Forces to Tamaulipas to apprehend Cárdenas Guillén. They carried out operations in Matamoros, Reynosa, and Nuevo Laredo. Cárdenas Guillén, however, had abandoned Tamaulipas and relocated in the state of Nuevo León with several of his henchmen. He hid in a ranch known as Las Amarrillas in China, Nuevo León. He bought from ranch from via his lawyer .[49]

U.S. authorities interviewed Cárdenas Guillén's father, one of his uncles, and his brother Homero Cárdenas Guillén, who they did not suspect was involved in organized crime activities. They eventually were able to wiretap several phone conversations between Cárdenas Guillén and his wife Celia Salinas Aguilar. They concluded in these conversations that Cárdenas Guillén was hiding in Monterrey with his wife and two children: Celia Marlén and Osiel Jr. As the investigation tightened, they discovered his family travelled in a Jetta, BMW, and an X Terra, and identified the schools their kids attended. In their conversations, Cárdenas Guillén warned his wife that the phones they were using were probably wiretapped, and asked her to communicate with him through other lines. U.S. agents also researched Cárdenas Guillén's lovers and discovered that he had an affinity towards Colombian women. They interviewed a Colombian national who was dating him, Andrea Posadas Williamson. She confirmed the drug lord's whereabouts in Mexico City in September 2000.[50]

A week after the standoff, the U.S. government gave Mexico several addresses that were linked to the Gulf Cartel. Mexican authorities carried out several raids in these properties but the information was outdated and the operations did not further the investigation.[19] As the government increased its presence in Tamaulipas, several of Cárdenas Guillén's accomplices went for vacations in several resort areas.[49] On 31 December 1999, Cárdenas Guillén hosted a party in Cancún with several of his henchmen.[51] By the start of 2000, he refused to visit Matamoros under fear of being arrested. He preferred to stay in Mexico City and made only sporadic trips to Tamaulipas that year. Cárdenas Guillén stayed at multiple hotels throughout the year but eventually grew tired and bought a home in Bosques de las Lomas, Mexico City.[49]

Reaction and identification of suspects[]

On 18 November 1999, DuBois and Fuentes met with a PGR head in San Antonio, Texas, and told him what had occurred in the standoff. Dávalos Martínez showed the agents the pictures of several Gulf Cartel members the PGR had on file, and the agents recognized some of them as the perpetrators.[23] Those involved in the standoff were Cárdenas Guillén; Baldomero González Ruiz (alias "El Viejo Fox");[23] Juan Carlos de la Cruz Reyna (alias "El JC");[52] Vázquez Mireles (alias "El Meme Loco");[53] Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sánchez (alias "El Coss");[54] José Manuel Garza Rendón (alias "La Brocha");[55] Adán Medrano Rodríguez (alias "El Licenciado");[56] Rogelio González Pizaña (alias "Z-2");[57] Alejandro Estévez García; Arturo Meléndez Reta; Saúl González López;[23] Antonio Cárdenas Guillén (alias "Tony Tormenta");[51] Gregorio Sauceda Gamboa (alias "El Caramuelas");[50] and Rogelio García García (alias "El Roger").[53]

Leadership chart of the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury

DuBois also recounted the incident to Kevin C. Whaley, former head of the DEA offices in Houston, telling him the reason they did not leave their vehicle when Cárdenas Guillén ordered them to do so. He told Whaley the agents would likely have been killed if they had done as Cárdenas Guillén asked them. He said he accepted the possibility of his death in the vehicle in front of several eyewitnesses, which DuBois said had deterred the gunmen from killing them. He also stated that their refusal to follow orders confused the gunmen because they rarely have people stand up against them.[19]

Bermúdez Núñez also traveled to San Antonio to give his account of the incident and explain what he knew of the Gulf Cartel. He told law enforcement he had known Cárdenas Guillén since 1998, and that he knew the Gulf Cartel was supported by members of the Matamoros Municipal Police and the Tamaulipas State Police. A total of 29 policemen who were collaborating with the Gulf Cartel were mentioned by him; six were from the local police and twenty-three were from the state police force. Bermúdez Núñez also stated that Cárdenas Guillén received support from policemen stationed at General Lucio Blanco International Airport in Reynosa, and that policemen acted as his armed squad to carry out executions on the Gulf Cartel's behalf, and aided its international drug trafficking operations.[19]

On 28 July 2000, during the 48th Annual Awards Ceremony of the U.S. Department of Justice, DuBois and Fuentes were recognized by the U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno for their "exceptional heroism".[e] In the ceremony, Reno highlighted the two agents' calmness and refusal to comply with Cárdenas Guillén's demands to surrender their informant and step out of the vehicle. She stated that the agents reminded Cárdenas Guillén of the consequences of his actions and showed "professionalism and courage" despite being outnumbered and facing life-threatening circumstances.[58]

Aftermath[]

Indictments and sanctions[]

To formally build a case around Cárdenas Guillén, the U.S. government filed several indictments against him. His charges dated from 1998 to 2002, and included conspiracy to import cocaine and marijuana to the U.S. from Mexico, money laundering, and assault against U.S. law enforcement.[59] On 14 March 2000, Cárdenas Guillén and several of his aides were indicted by a grand jury of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas in Brownsville; they were charged with two drug trafficking offenses and two assault counts against U.S. law enforcement officers. The first assault charge was for the June 1999 offense against the undercover agent from Cameron County. The second assault charge was for the standoff in Matamoros in November 1999.[15] On 14 December 2000, U.S. Department of State assistant deputy Wendy Chamberlin announced a US$2 million bounty for Cárdenas Guillén, Garza Rendón, and Medrano Rodríguez. This announcement was made alongside an indictment issued in Brownsville charging Cárdenas Guillén and seven of his associates of drug trafficking and assault against federal agents.[15] "We are sending a clear and strong message that no one can threaten or harm a federal agent with impunity," DEA chief Donnie R. Marshall said in the press release.[60] U.S. officials stated that they believed Cárdenas Guillén was hiding in Reynosa or Matamoros.[61]

Law enforcement pressure against the Gulf Cartel and Cárdenas Guillén was also extended to their financial networks. On 1 June 2001, Cárdenas Guillén was sanctioned under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act) after President Bill Clinton considered him a "significant" international drug trafficker.[62] The sanction was also extended to 11 other suspected drug traffickers across the world, including Álvarez Tostado, Sher Afghan, Miguel Caro Quintero, , Joseph Gilboa, Joaquín Guzmán Loera, Jamiel Hamieh, , Nasir Ali Khan, Óscar Malherbe de León, and .[63] As a result of the sanction, Cárdenas Guillén's U.S.-based assets were frozen and U.S. citizens and companies were prohibited from engaging in business activities with him. It also revoked the visas of his family members who benefited from his illicit funds.[64]

In October 2001, the U.S. Customs Service placed Cárdenas Guillén on its list of top-ten most-wanted international suspects. He was the third Mexican national to be included on this list; previously, Juárez Cartel leader and Tijuana Cartel leader were on the list. In the report, Cárdenas Guillén was described as an armed and dangerous criminal who could be identified by a birthmark on the right side of his face and a tattoo on his left shoulder.[65] On 9 April 2002, Cárdenas Guillén, along with nine associates, was indicted again for cocaine trafficking and continuous criminal enterprise activities.[66]

Arrests[]

At around 9:45 a.m. on 14 March 2003,[67] Cárdenas Guillén was arrested in Matamoros by the Mexican Army after a large shootout with his gunmen.[68] There were three different shootouts during the operation; the first one occurred inside a house in Satélite neighborhood, where Cárdenas Guillén had been hiding for several months.[69] The shootout there lasted about half an hour, during which Cárdenas Guillén's bodyguards were outnumbered and surrounded by the Army.[70] When the military entered the house, Cárdenas Guillén tried to escape through a backyard wall but was apprehended. As he was taken into custody, a second shootout broke out outside the house after his gunmen tried to prevent his arrest. The third shootout broke out near Matamoros International Airport when a group of gunmen tried to rescue Cárdenas Guillén and prevent the military from transporting him to Mexico City.[69] Once in Mexico City, he was handed over to the PGR and sent to Campo Militar 1, a military installation.[71][72] He was then transferred via helicopter to the Federal Social Readaptation Center No. 1 (previously known as "La Palma"),[71] a maximum-security prison in Almoloya de Juárez, State of Mexico.[73] Three military men were wounded in the shootouts;[69] at least one Gulf Cartel gunmen was killed and six more were wounded.[74] Two uninvolved civilians were also injured in the attacks.[71] After the third shootout, the military erected checkpoints and carried out vehicle inspections on the highways connecting Matamoros with Reynosa, Ciudad Victoria, and Playa Bagdad.[69]

Indictment chart against leaders of the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas, issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury

The arrest was a significant event in the anti-crime efforts of President Vicente Fox (2000–2006). It also marked a radical shift in modus operandi of organized crime groups in Mexico; a shootout of this scale had not been seen in previous arrests of high-profile drug lords.[70] The arrest came after six-month investigation that included undercover work.[69][75] It was a combined effort by the Mexican government, the FBI, DEA, and the U.S. Customs Service, and was dubbed Operation Golden Grips.[76] The arrest was planned in nearly absolute secrecy; the only Mexican officials aware of Cárdenas Guillén's capture were Fox, the Secretary of Defense Ricardo Clemente Vega García, and Attorney General Rafael Macedo de la Concha. The Mexican Army discovered Cárdenas Guillén's whereabouts about a week before the arrest and notified Fox, who approved the order to apprehend him.[71] The Mexican government stated that tracing his whereabouts was a difficult task;[f] during the investigation, they discovered he had at least 300 individuals working under him and protecting him from law enforcement in various parts of Mexico.[69]

In a press conference, Fox praised the efforts of the Army, which stated it would investigate the identity of Cárdenas Guillén's successor. In Mexico, Cárdenas Guillén had three outstanding arrest warrants for drug trafficking, money laundering, and organized crime charges; one in Mexico City and two in Tamaulipas.[71] The PGR notified the U.S. government of the arrest because of the outstanding charges Cárdenas Guillén had in the U.S;[71] it confirmed, however, that he would face trial in Mexico before an extradition request from the U.S. government was considered.[33][79] The U.S. was enthusiastic about the arrest and recognized the efforts of the Fox administration.[80]

In addition to Cárdenas Guillén, other Gulf Cartel members involved in the standoff were arrested and convicted. Garza Rendón turned himself in to U.S. authorities in Pharr, Texas, on 5 June 2001 after fearing for his life;[81] he was sentenced to nine years in prison in the U.S. that year. He was deported to Mexico in 2009, where he was re-arrested on additional charges.[82] Medrano Rodríguez was arrested on 28 March 2002 in Matamoros;[83] he was sentenced to 44 years in prison on 12 May 2006.[84] He was released after 2012.[85] Vázquez Mireles was arrested in Veracruz on 1 April 2003;[86] as of 2013, he was in prison without a conviction after a court annulled his 12-year sentence.[87] González Pizaña was arrested in October 2004;[88] he was given a 16-year conviction in 2014,[89] but was released later that year after his conviction was reduced to time he had already served.[90][91] De la Cruz Reyna was arrested in Polanco, Mexico City, on 30 August 2007;[92] he was extradited to the U.S. on 31 December 2008,[93][94] and sentenced to 11 years in prison on 10 October 2012.[95] Costilla Sánchez was arrested in Tampico, Tamaulipas, in 2012;[96] he was extradited to the U.S. in 2015.[97]

Imprisonment and extraditions[]

While in prison, Cárdenas Guillén continued to lead the Gulf Cartel and created an alliance with Tijuana Cartel leader Benjamín Arellano Félix.[98] Cárdenas Guillén and Arellano Félix orchestrated plans to destabilize La Palma, and were placed under 24-hour surveillance with limited visits from family members.[99] In October 2003 Cárdenas Guillén planned a hunger strike with other inmates after complaining that prison authorities were limiting the availability of water for their daily showers.[100] In December 2003, Mexican authorities discovered he had smuggled a cellphone into his prison cell.[g][101] In April 2004, he sponsored a nationwide gift delivery during Children's Day and gave money to a church.[102][103] In August 2004, investigators discovered Arellano Félix and Cárdenas Guillén were planning to escape from prison with outside help from their henchmen; Cárdenas Guillén was reportedly planning to use Los Zetas to break in and free him.[104] In January 2005, authorities also discovered that Cárdenas Guillén was depositing money into the bank accounts of several inmates and their family members to gain their favor.[105] The same month, he ordered the execution of six prison guards in Matamoros; according to investigators, the attack was intended to show the government he was still capable of instigating violent acts.[106] On 31 December 2005, high-ranking Sinaloa Cartel leader was killed in La Palma; investigators suspected Cárdenas Guillén may have planned the attack.[107]

Osiel Cárdenas Guillén's extradition to the United States from Mexico

The Mexican government grew frustrated of Cárdenas Guillén's actions behind bars and decided to extradite him to the U.S.[108] The extradition occurred on 19 January 2007, along with that of 14 other suspected criminals.[109] He was one of the four major drug cartel leaders extradited that day;[110] the other kingpins were Ismael and , former leaders of the Tijuana Cartel, and Héctor "El Güero" Palma, a former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel.[111][112] The extradition came a few days after the inauguration of President Felipe Calderón (2006–2012); U.S. officials lauded Cárdenas Guillén's extradition and said they were optimistic about the new administration. U.S. officials had tried to have Cárdenas Guillén extradited to the U.S. during the Fox administration but they believed the Mexican government was reluctant to extradite criminals who faced crimes punishable with death penalties or life imprisonment; Mexico does not issue these sentences.[112]

On 24 February 2010, Cárdenas Guillén was sentenced to 25 years in prison without possibility of parole. He was also fined US$100,000 and ordered to forfeit US$50 million;[20] a small portion of what U.S. officials believed he generated as a leader of the Gulf Cartel.[113] Upon his release in 2035,[114] he will be placed in supervised release for five years.[20] Though most of the trial was held behind closed doors,[115] the U.S. government confirmed he pleaded guilty to threatening U.S. agents, money laundering, and drug trafficking.[113] According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Cárdenas Guillén led a vast criminal empire that supplied multi-ton shipments of cocaine and marijuana from Mexico to the U.S., resulting in millions of dollars in drug proceeds. They also found him guilty of using violence and intimidation to further his drug conspiracies. "The successful prosecution of Cárdenas Guillén underscores the joint resolve of the United States and Mexico to pursue and prosecute the leadership of the drug trafficking cartels, dismantle their organizations and end the violence and corruption they have spawned", the prosecution said.[20]

See also[]

  • Mexican Drug War

Sources[]

Footnotes[]

  1. ^ Another stated that the assault occurred in May 1999.[18]
  2. ^ He was also referred to by his code name José Luis and Tiburcio.[23]
  3. ^ According to the informant, Gilberto García Garza may have also been on the Gulf Cartel's payroll. The commander worked under police chief Pedro Hernández Quiroga,[23] who was arrested in 2010 for providing armed protection to the Gulf Cartel.[37]
  4. ^ Organized crime groups in Mexico have traditionally avoided targeting U.S. authorities since the murder of Camarena. The murder set a precedent of the possible wrath that may follow from the U.S. government for targeting their officials.[41]
  5. ^ These awards are given to people who make important contributions to law enforcement efforts. The Attorney General's Awards are the highest-ranking awards offered by the department.[58]
  6. ^ In December 2002, four Mexican investigators were kidnapped by the Gulf Cartel: Gustavo Garza Martínez, Norma Elsa Castillo Pinales, Juan Remi Ortega Arellano, and Eduardo Díaz Reyes. They were working undercover in Tamaulipas,[77] and Mexican authorities suspect Cárdenas Guillén may have been involved in their disappearance.[78]
  7. ^ Investigators believe he commanded drug trafficking and money laundering operations with this device via his nephew .[101]

References[]

  1. ^ Correa-Cabrera 2017, p. 267.
  2. ^ "Mexican drug lord gets 25 years, gives up $50 million". CNN. 25 February 2010. Archived from the original on 20 September 2013.
  3. ^ "Narcotics Rewards Program". United States Department of State. Archived from the original on 28 November 2017.
  4. ^ Dillon, Sam (12 May 1996). "Victory or deceit? A special report: Bribes and Publicity Mark Fall of Mexican Drug Lord". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 22 March 2016.
  5. ^ Fineman, Mark; Hart, Lianne (1 February 1997). "Drug Lord Sentenced to 11 Life Terms, Fined $128 Million". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 8 November 2017.
  6. ^ "Historia y estructura del Cártel del Golfo". Terra Networks (in Spanish). 5 November 2010. Archived from the original on 9 November 2010.
  7. ^ "Con Oziel Cárdenas, sucesor de García Abrego, el cártel del Golfo recobra fuerza". Proceso (in Spanish). 11 December 1999. Archived from the original on 4 December 2018.
  8. ^ Valdés Castellanos, Guillermo (1 September 2013). "El nacimiento de un ejército criminal". Revista Nexos (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 7 April 2018.
  9. ^ "El Cártel del Golfo, en plena actividad". Proceso (in Spanish). 18 March 2002. Archived from the original on 13 December 2018.
  10. ^ "El capo sombrío". Proceso (in Spanish). 19 September 2010. Archived from the original on 13 December 2018.
  11. ^ "Conozca la historia del Cartel del Golfo y Osiel Cárdenas". La Crónica de Hoy (in Spanish). 14 March 2003. Archived from the original on 15 March 2018.
  12. ^ Logan, Samuel (February 2012). "A Profile of Los Zetas: Mexico's Second Most Powerful Drug Cartel". Combating Terrorism Center. Archived from the original on 4 November 2018 – via United States Military Academy.
  13. ^ Grillo 2012, p. 95–98.
  14. ^ Correa-Cabrera 2017, p. 21–23.
  15. ^ a b c d "$2 Million Reward Offered Leading to the Arrest or Conviction of Drug Traffickers". Drug Enforcement Administration. 14 December 2000. Archived from the original on 3 February 2007.
  16. ^ a b c "Operation Impunity II". Drug Enforcement Administration. December 2000. Archived from the original on 5 July 2003.
  17. ^ Sherman, Christopher (18 January 2012). "Assets from drug boss go to Texas law enforcement". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Archived from the original on 4 December 2018.
  18. ^ "$29.5 million in Osiel Cardenas drug funds split up for 12 Valley agencies". KGBT-TV. 16 February 2012. Archived from the original on 13 December 2018.
  19. ^ a b c d Gutiérrez 2007, p. 358–365.
  20. ^ a b c d "Osiel Cardenas-Guillen, Former Head of the Gulf Cartel, Sentenced to 25 Years' Imprisonment". Federal Bureau of Investigation. 24 February 2010. Archived from the original on 4 January 2017.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g Golden, Tim (24 November 1999). "Head to Head in Mexico: D.E.A. Agents And Suspects". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 15 September 2017.
  22. ^ Thompson, Ginger (3 December 2011). "DEA undercover agents laundering Mexican cartels' money". The Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on 13 December 2018.
  23. ^ a b c d e f g h i Reyez, José (23 August 2003). "DEA, FBI, PGR: Osiel controló Tamaulipas". Contralínea (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 20 April 2018.
  24. ^ a b c Pérez 2016, p. 112–116.
  25. ^ "Encarcelan al abogado de Osiel". El Norte (in Spanish). Monterrey, Nuevo León: Editora El Sol, S.A. de C.V. 13 October 2002. ProQuest 315841780.
  26. ^ a b "U.S. agents targeting Mexican drug kingpin". Deseret News. Associated Press. 15 December 2000. Archived from the original on 27 November 2018.
  27. ^ Schiller, Dane (February 2007). "US Prosecutors Set to Take on Suspected Gulf Cartel Leader". San Antonio Express-News. Archived from the original on 4 December 2018 – via Banderas News.
  28. ^ Buch, Json (28 February 2011). "Dangers higher for federal agents". San Antonio Express-News. Archived from the original on 27 November 2018.
  29. ^ a b c d e Schiller, Dane (15 March 2010). "DEA agent breaks silence on standoff with cartel". The Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on 27 November 2018.
  30. ^ "Error de Osiel Cárdenas le costó la libertad: escritor". El Diario de Juárez (in Spanish). 16 February 2014. Archived from the original on 12 April 2018.
  31. ^ Ching, Monique (22 August 2012). "FBI agent recalls 1999 standoff". San Angelo Standard-Times. Archived from the original on 4 December 2018.
  32. ^ a b c Borunda, Daniel (27 November 1999). "U.S. federal agents in Matamoros standoff". The Brownsville Herald. pp. A1–A9. Archived from the original on 4 December 2018 – via NewspaperArchive.com.
  33. ^ a b "Mexico arrests alleged drug lord after shoot-out". Arizona Daily Sun. Associated Press. 14 March 2003. Archived from the original on 13 December 2018. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  34. ^ a b c Marshall, Donnie R. (21 March 2000). "DEA – Publications – Congressional Testimony – 03/21/00". Drug Enforcement Administration. Archived from the original on 26 March 2017 – via Federation of American Scientists.
  35. ^ a b Longmire 2014, p. 19–21.
  36. ^ a b c d e f g Schiller, Dane (March 2010). "DEA agent tells details of now-infamous 1999 confrontation with Mexican drug kingpin". The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on 27 November 2018.
  37. ^ Blancas Madrigal, Daniel (7 November 2010). "Temían intervención de policías en defensa de Tony Tormenta". La Crónica de Hoy (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 13 December 2018.
  38. ^ a b "DEA agent describes engaging in armed standoff with drug kingpin in '99". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Associated Press. 16 March 2010. Archived from the original on 4 October 2012.
  39. ^ "Los agentes de la DEA que encararon a Osiel Cárdenas". El Debate de Sinaloa (in Spanish). 17 September 2014. Archived from the original on 13 December 2018. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  40. ^ "DEA agent talks of 1999 Matamoros standoff with Osiel Cardenas-Guillen". The Brownsville Herald. 15 March 2010. Archived from the original on 4 December 2018.
  41. ^ Bracamontes, Ramón (17 February 2011). "Attack on ICE agents won't slow drug war, experts say". El Paso Times. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012.
  42. ^ Woody, Christopher (12 March 2017). "'I don't give a damn who you are': The roadside showdown that made a Mexican kingpin a marked man". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 27 November 2018.
  43. ^ "The Drug Enforcement Administration: 1999–2003" (PDF). Drug Enforcement Administration. July 2018. p. 112. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 December 2018.
  44. ^ Sheridan, Mary Beth (30 November 2000). "As Fox Takes Reins, Police Corruption Will Be a Focus". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015.
  45. ^ a b "Grayson: Zapata slaying will have repercussions". The Brownsville Herald. 17 February 2011.
  46. ^ "Capturan a líder del Cártel del Golfo" (in Spanish). Mexico City: Government of Mexico. 14 March 2003. Archived from the original on 5 December 2018. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  47. ^ Grayson 2017, p. 10–11.
  48. ^ Ravelo 2007, p. 244–250.
  49. ^ a b c Ravelo 2012, p. 184–192.
  50. ^ a b Gómez & Fritz 2005, p. 185–190.
  51. ^ a b Deibert 2014, p. 39–40.
  52. ^ "Member of Gulf Cartel Convicted for Assault of Federal Agents". Federal Bureau of Investigation. 31 March 2009. Archived from the original on 17 November 2018.
  53. ^ a b "Ordenan reponer juicio a ex capo de cártel del Golfo". El Diario de Juárez (in Spanish). 17 March 2013. Archived from the original on 20 March 2013.
  54. ^ "Capture of Gulf Cartel general highlights bad day for drug-world figures". The Houston Chronicle. 13 September 2012. Archived from the original on 27 November 2018.
  55. ^ Castillo García, Gustavo (8 June 2001). "Se entregó a EU lugarteniente del cártel del Golfo". La Jornada (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 4 December 2018.
  56. ^ Weiner, Tim (29 March 2002). "Mexico Arrests A Key Figure in Drug Cartel". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 29 January 2018.
  57. ^ Stevenson, Mark (30 October 2004). "Mexican Police Arrest Suspected Hit Man". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 4 December 2018.
  58. ^ a b "48th Annual Awards Ceremony". United States Department of Justice. 28 July 2000. Archived from the original on 2 January 2017.
  59. ^ George, Cindy (9 February 2007). "Accused cartel kingpin pleads in Houston court". The Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on 13 December 2018.
  60. ^ Sheridan, Mary Beth (15 December 2000). "U.S. Targets Alleged Mexican Drug Kingpin". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 11 September 2015.
  61. ^ Pierce, Brad (15 December 2000). "Drug cartel crackdown crime: $2 million offered in reward for capture of suspects". The Brownsville Herald.
  62. ^ "Sanctions Pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act" (PDF). United States Department of the Treasury. 18 October 2018. p. 1. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 November 2018.
  63. ^ "Letter to Congressional Leaders Reporting on Sanctions Under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act" (PDF). United States Government Publishing Office. 31 May 2001. p. 602. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 December 2018.
  64. ^ Gentile, Carmen (1 June 2001). "White House cracks down on kingpins". United Press International. Archived from the original on 4 December 2018.
  65. ^ Barajas, Abel (21 October 2001). "Busca Aduanas de EU al capo Osiel Cardenas". Reforma (in Spanish). Mexico City. ProQuest 310687234.
  66. ^ Caskey, Anthony (12 April 2002). "Alleged leader of Gulf Cartel faces federal indictment". The Brownsville Herald.
  67. ^ Hernandez, Macarena; Schiller, Dane (15 March 2003). "Reputed drug lord arrested after gunfight". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on 23 May 2018.
  68. ^ "Leading Mexican Drug Suspect Is Captured". The New York Times. 17 March 2003. Archived from the original on 29 December 2017.
  69. ^ a b c d e f Lira Saade, Carmen (15 March 2003). "Bajo fuego, la captura del capo Osiel Cárdenas". La Jornada (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 29 November 2018.
  70. ^ a b Grillo 2012, p. 99.
  71. ^ a b c d e f Gómez, Francisco (14 March 2003). "Cae Osiel Cárdenas". El Universal (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 28 March 2012.
  72. ^ Barajas, Abel (16 March 2002). "Encarcelan a Osiel en La Palma". Reforma (in Spanish). Editora El Sol, S.A. de C.V. ProQuest 307109461.
  73. ^ Arteaga, Alejandra (12 July 2015). "Altiplano, el penal de los tres nombres y los narcos más peligrosos". Milenio (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 10 December 2018.
  74. ^ Sánchez, Raymundo (15 March 2003). "Capturan en Matamoros al líder del Cártel del Golfo". La Crónica de Hoy (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 7 December 2018.
  75. ^ Cardenas, Lourdes (14 March 2003). "Alleged leader of Mexican drug cartel arrested". CNN. Archived from the original on 15 March 2017.
  76. ^ "Captured: Mexican Cartel Boss Osiel Cardenas-Guillen Violent Criminal had Threatened Federal Agents". Drug Enforcement Administration. 21 March 2003. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008.
  77. ^ "Tamaulipas: las narco desapariciones". Proceso (in Spanish). 18 January 2003. Archived from the original on 23 March 2018.
  78. ^ "Cártel del Golfo asesinó a agentes". El Siglo de Torreón (in Spanish). 17 July 2003. Archived from the original on 30 April 2009.
  79. ^ "'Drug boss' captured in Mexico". BBC News. 14 March 2003. Archived from the original on 4 September 2012.
  80. ^ Dickerson, Marla (15 March 2003). "Mexico Arrests Alleged Drug Lord". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 27 September 2015.
  81. ^ "Alleged Cartel lieutenant surrenders Drugs: Wanted man walks across Pharr bridge and turns himself in". The Brownsville Herald. 7 June 2001.
  82. ^ "Former Mexican drug cartel officer deported". U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 10 April 2009. Archived from the original on 18 June 2017.
  83. ^ "Confirma la PGR la detención de Adán Medrano, miembro del cártel del Golfo". Proceso (in Spanish). 28 March 2002. Archived from the original on 17 November 2018.
  84. ^ "Sentencian a capo a 44 años de prisión". El Siglo de Torreón (in Spanish). 12 May 2006. Archived from the original on 16 November 2018.
  85. ^ "Liberan en dos años a 10 líderes del narcotráfico". El Diario de Juárez (in Spanish). 27 October 2014. Archived from the original on 4 December 2014.
  86. ^ Dávila, Darío; Jiménez, Carlos (1 April 2003). "Detienen en Veracruz a relevo de Osiel Cárdenas". La Crónica de Hoy (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 13 December 2018.
  87. ^ "Ordenan reponer juicio a ex capo de cártel del Golfo". El Diario de Juárez (in Spanish). 17 March 2003. Archived from the original on 20 March 2013.
  88. ^ "Cae 'El Kelín' del cártel del Golfo". El Siglo de Torreón (in Spanish). 29 October 2004. Archived from the original on 26 March 2010. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  89. ^ Mosso, Rubén (21 January 2014). "Dan 16 años de cárcel a ex líder de Los Zetas". Milenio (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 6 September 2018. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  90. ^ "Al estilo Caro, líder "Zeta" sale de prisión" (in Spanish). El Informador. 14 September 2014. Archived from the original on 14 September 2014. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
  91. ^ "Liberan a 'El Kelín' fundador de Zetas" (in Spanish). El Diario de Coahuila. Published from El Universal (Mexico City). 14 September 2014. Archived from the original on 15 September 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
  92. ^ Castillo García, Gustavo (30 August 2007). "Importante operador del cártel del Golfo, uno de los detenidos en Polanco". La Jornada (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 11 December 2018.
  93. ^ "10 Major Drug Defendants Extradited from Mexico to the United States". Drug Enforcement Administration. 31 December 2008. Archived from the original on 13 December 2018.
  94. ^ Sánchez, Julián (1 January 2009). "México extradita a EU capos de tres cárteles". El Universal (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 19 May 2012.
  95. ^ "Gulf Cartel Figure and Five Others Sentenced to Prison in Bribery Scheme". Federal Bureau of Investigation. 10 October 2012. Archived from the original on 10 July 2017.
  96. ^ "Gulf Cartel supreme leader 'El Coss' reported captured in Tampico". KVEO-TV. 13 September 2012. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
  97. ^ Corcoran, Katherine (1 October 2015). "Mexico extradites top drug lords 'La Barbie,' 'El Coss' to US from maximum security jail". U.S. News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  98. ^ Barajas, Abel (14 August 2004). "Exhibe PGR operaciones de narcos desde La Palma". El Norte (in Spanish). Editora El Sol, S.A. de C.V. ProQuest 311701514.
  99. ^ Domínguez, Miguel; Linán, Francisco; Cázares, Martha (22 January 2005). "Culpan de la crisis a Osiel y a Arellano". El Norte (in Spanish). Editora El Sol, S.A. de C.V. ProQuest 311751086.
  100. ^ Vicenteño, David (24 October 2003). "Exige Osiel baño a sus horas; amaga con huelga de hambre". El Norte (in Spanish). Editora El Sol, S.A. de C.V. ProQuest 315844934.
  101. ^ a b Barajas, Abel; Robles, Osvaldo (21 October 2004). "Ubican en 2003 celular a Osiel en La Palma". Reforma (in Spanish). Editora El Sol, S.A. de C.V. ProQuest 307406845.
  102. ^ Ramírez, Juan José; Pérez, Sonia (2 May 2004). "Patrocina Osiel festejo a ninos". Reforma (in Spanish). Editora El Sol, S.A. de C.V. ProQuest 307341560.
  103. ^ "No pueden con La Palma". Proceso (in Spanish). 25 September 2005. Archived from the original on 10 December 2018.
  104. ^ Barajas, Abel (14 August 2004). "Revelan plan en La Palma". Reforma (in Spanish). Editora El Sol, S.A. de C.V. ProQuest 373820902.
  105. ^ Barajas, Abel (7 January 2005). "Coopta Osiel Cardenas a reclusos de La Palma". Reforma (in Spanish). Editora El Sol, S.A. de C.V.
  106. ^ Barajas, Abel (26 January 2005). "Revelan que Osiel ordeno asesinatos". El Norte (in Spanish). Editora El Sol, S.A. de C.V. ProQuest 311800694.
  107. ^ Sevilla, Ramón (1 March 2005). "La PGR investiga al director de La Palma y si Osiel pagó para que ejecutaran al hermano de El Chapo". La Crónica de Hoy (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 10 December 2018.
  108. ^ Lozano, Juan A. (8 February 2007). "Boldness, violence kept drug kingpin atop Mexican cartel". My Plainview. Archived from the original on 10 December 2018.
  109. ^ "Entregan a EU a Osiel y a Palma". Reforma (in Spanish). Editora El Sol, S.A. de C.V. 20 January 2007. ProQuest 307820770.
  110. ^ Tandy, Karen P. (22 January 2007). "Extradition of 15 Mexican Criminals". Drug Enforcement Administration. Archived from the original on 4 December 2018.
  111. ^ "Statement of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales on Extradition of 15 Mexican Drug Traffickers and Other Criminals". Drug Enforcement Administration. 22 January 2007. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008.
  112. ^ a b Roig-Franzia, Manuel (21 January 2007). "U.S. Officials Laud Transfer of Mexican Drug Suspects". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 13 December 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  113. ^ a b "Drug lord Osiel Crdenas Guillen gets 25-year sentence". The Dallas Morning News. 25 February 2010. Archived from the original on 26 September 2017.
  114. ^ Corchado, Alfredo; Krause, Krause (14 April 2016). "'Deadly Deal: A Drug Kingpin's Plea with the U.S. Triggered Years of Bloodshed Reaching All the Way to Southlake". The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on 26 September 2017.
  115. ^ Pérez, Ana Lilia (1 August 2010). "Sentencia de Osiel, un pacto con Obama". Contralínea (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 4 December 2018.

Bibliography[]

Further reading[]

Retrieved from ""