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Edgar Valdez Villarreal

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In thisSpanish name,the first or paternalsurnameisValdezand the second or maternal family name isVillarreal.
Edgar Valdez Villarreal
Villarreal in the 2000s
Born(1974-08-11)August 11, 1974(age 49)
Laredo,Texas,U.S.
Other namesLa Barbie;[1][2]El Comandante;[1]El Güero[1]
OccupationDrug lord
Criminal statusIncarcerated
ChildrenÉdgar Valdéz Beltrán
ParentAbel Valdez Villarreal
AllegianceBeltrán-Leyva Cartel
Conviction(s)Conspiracy to import more than 5 kilograms of cocaine (21 U.S.C. §§ 952, 960, and 963)
Conspiracy to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine (21 U.S.C. §§ 959, 960, and 963)
Money laundering (18 U.S.C. § 1956)
Criminal penalty49 years imprisonment
Date apprehended
August 30, 2010
Imprisoned atUSP Coleman II

Edgar Valdez Villarreal(born August 11, 1973), also known asLa Barbie( "The Barbie" ), is aMexican-Americanformerdrug lordand high-ranking lieutenant of theBeltrán Leyva Cartel.Valdez is serving a 49-year prison sentence atUSP Coleman IIin Florida.

Valdez worked for several years as aMexican cartellieutenant alongside nephew Fernando Valdez, before rising to a leadership position in an enforcement squad calledLos Negros.[3][4]Following the death of cartel bossArturo Beltrán Leyvain late 2009, Valdez fought a protracted gang war for control of the cartel resulting in over 150 deaths. He employed techniques such as videotapedtortureanddecapitation.[5][6]

On August 30, 2010, he was arrested byMexican Federal Policeat a rural house nearMexico City.[7]His gang, known as Los Negros, collapsed by 2011.[8]He was intended to serve a 49-year sentence atUSP Coleman II,a high-security US federal prison in Florida. As of November 2022, he is no longer listed as being in the custody of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons, though it has been reported that this was due to certain circumstances involving "safety, security, or privacy reasons."[9]

Biography[edit]

Valdez was born and raised inLaredo,Texas.[6][10][11]He was a popular high school football player. His nicknameLa Barbiecame from his American football coach atUnited High School;because of his blond hair and blue eyes, he was compared to aKen doll.[12][13]

Valdez's first arrest came at the age of 19 in Texas, where he was charged with criminallynegligent homicidefor running over a middle-school counselor with his truck while speeding down a Laredo street. He was notindicted.[14]He became amarijuanadealer on the streets of Laredo while he was in high school.[6][15]He turned down his father's offer of financing a college education in order to focus on his business, but was soon indicted on charges of distributing marijuana.[6]To avoid capture he fled to Mexico, where he allegedly joined theBeltrán-Leyva Carteland quickly moved up through the ranks due to his connections in the US.[6]

He collaborated with both the DEA and the FBI while working as a drug trafficker.[16]

Los Negros[edit]

Main article:Los Negros

Valdez came to lead the enforcement gang calledLos Negros,[3][4]who were engaged in a territorial dispute in the Nuevo Laredo region againstLos Zetas.Los Negros orchestrated kidnappings and recruited operatives, including corrupt police officers, military personnel and federal agents, according to the attorney general's office.[citation needed]While the group was allegedly controlled directly by Valdez, it used to be overseen by theBeltrán-Leyva Cartel.[17]

According to Mexican media reports, shortly after the death of cartel leaderArturo Beltrán Leyvaon December 16, 2009, Valdez began to dispute the cartel's leadership and its territory; in 2010 one faction was led by Valdez and Gerardo Alvarez-Vasquez, while the other was led by Arturo's brotherHéctor Beltrán Leyvaand his lieutenantSergio Villarreal Barragán.[18][19]

In August 2010 four decapitated bodies were found hanging from a bridge inCuernavaca,along with a message warning anyone helping Valdez of a similar fate.[7]Both sides engaged in similarly gruesome tactics intended to ward off the other; over 150 deaths are allegedly linked to the dispute.[6]

US government reports allege that Los Negros has been known to employ local gangs such asMS-13and theMexican Mafiato carry out murders and other illegal activities.[20]

Connection with the Cabañas Case[edit]

On the morning of January 25, 2010, football playerSalvador Cabañaswas wounded by a gunshot to the head. Through the recording of a CCTV camera, José Jorge ( "JJ" ) Balderas Garza was identified as his attacker. According to his own statements, due to their friendship Valdez-Villarreal himself was the person who gave "JJ" shelter to protect him from the police by placing him in one of hissafe houses.

Connection with the Israeli crime organization[edit]

Benjamin Yeshurun Sutchi (killed in Mexico by theCJNGgang),[21][22]a well-known Israeli drug dealer and a major player in the international cocaine business, was wanted by Interpol and was one of the best friends of Edgar Valdez Villarreal. Mexico’s attorney general said that between 2001 and 2005 Sutchi built a criminal empire based on drug trafficking, kidnappings and casinos, working with Mexico’s own mafia. In a raid, police found photos showing Sutchi together with his friend Valdez in Sinaloa.[23]

Charges and allegations[edit]

Mexican police had been searching for Valdez since his 2002 indictment on two counts of conspiracy with intent to distributemarijuana.In their investigation, police raided homes that he had rented, locatinggrenades,automatic weaponsand police uniforms. In May 2009 Mexican authorities listed him as one of their 24 most wanted drug traffickers, and posted a 30-million-peso (US$2.3 million) reward for information leading to his capture.[24]

Valdez pleaded not guilty and took out advertising in the local Monterrey newspaper,El Norte,describing himself as: "a legitimate businessman who had been forced to leave Nuevo Laredo and move to the neighboring state ofCoahuilabecause he was being harassed for bribes by local police officers. "[25]

In June 2010 Valdez was indicted in a US court on charges of trafficking thousands of kilograms of cocaine from Mexico into the US between 2004-06.[26]Mexican officials claim that Valdez introduced to the US about one ton of cocaine per month.[27]In 2009 theJustice Departmentposted a $2 million reward for information leading to his capture.[26]

Arrest[edit]

Mexican police said they tracked Valdez across five Mexican states for a year, a pursuit that intensified in the final months as they raided home after home owned by the drug lord, missing him but arresting several of his allies.[citation needed]On August 30, 2010, Valdez was captured byMexican Federal Policenear Mexico City.[7]

In a video released by the federal police on September 1, 2010, Valdez could be seen telling his interrogators how he smuggled drugs fromPanamato the US and transported cash from the US back into Mexico hidden in trailers. He said that he spent $200,000 to make a film based on his life; however, he decided not to release the movie because it might reveal too much information about him.[28]After Valdez' arrest, his father-in-law, Carlos Montemayor González, (a.k.a.,El Charro) took control of the cartel, only to be arrested three months later on November 24, 2010.[29]

His American lawyer toldThe New York Timesthat Valdez denies all charges against him and that the video confession was made under duress.[6]In November 2010 Mexico started his extradition process to the US.[30]

Extradition[edit]

On September 30, 2015, Valdez Villarreal was extradited to the US along with 12 other criminals, including former high-ranking Gulf Cartel leaderJorge Eduardo Costilla Sánchez.[31]In June 2018 he was sentenced to 49 years in a US federal prison.[32]In November 2022, Borderland Beat reported that Valdez Villarreal was no longer in Bureau of Prisons custody.[33]After being pressed by the Government of Mexico on November 30, 2022 as to why Valdez Villarreal was no longer being listed as in Federal Prison custody, the U.S. Bureau of Federal Prisons claimed that "We do not provide specific information on the status of inmates who are not in the custody of the BOP for safety, security, or privacy reasons," but also that "Inmates who were previously in BOP custody and who have not completed their sentence may be outside BOP custody for a period of time for court hearings, medical treatment or for other reasons."[34]Mexican PresidentAndrés Manuel López Obradorreferenced Borderland Beat's story, stating in a press conference that he believed Borderland Beat received the information in a leak.[35]

In popular culture[edit]

A character loosely based on Valdez Villarreal, named "La muñeca" ( "The Doll" ), was featured inthe 2017 TV series "El Chapo".

Pending film[edit]

In 2011Legendary Picturesacquired the rights to filmAmerican Drug Lord,[36]a movie about Valdez based on an article inRolling Stonemagazine.Charlie Hunnam,who is best known for his role as Jax Teller in the TV crime-dramaSons of Anarchy,is scheduled to play the crime figure.[37]In January, 2016 it was revealed that since 2013[38]the controversial American actorArmie Hammercontacted the family of the infamous cartel leader "La Barbie" (Valdez-Villarreal) and secured the rights to film the life story of the drug lord.[39][40][41][42]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^abc"Narcotics Rewards Program: Edgar Valdez-Villarreal".United States Department of State.Retrieved11 November2012.
  2. ^Miller Llana, Sara (31 August 2011)."In Mexico, skepticism that arrest of Edgar Valdez Villarreal – 'La Barbie' – will stem drug trade".The Christian Science Monitor.Archivedfrom the original on 19 October 2012.Retrieved11 November2012.
  3. ^abFreeman, Laurie (June 2009).State of Siege: Drug-Related Violence and Corruption in Mexico(PDF).Washington Office on Latin America.pp. 7–15. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 4 November 2006.Retrieved11 November2012.
  4. ^ab"La Barbie", brazo derecho de los Beltrán Leyva ".La Crónica de Hoy(in Spanish). 30 August 2010.Archivedfrom the original on 11 November 2012.Retrieved11 November2012.
  5. ^Miller Llana, Sara (31 August 2010)."Edgar Valdez Villarreal – suspected drug lord 'La Barbie' – arrested in Mexico".The Christian Science Monitor.Archivedfrom the original on 6 November 2012.Retrieved11 November2012.
  6. ^abcdefgMcKinley Jr., James C. (8 September 2010)."U.S. Student Became Mexican Drug Kingpin".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on 11 October 2015.Retrieved11 November2012.
  7. ^abc"Mexico arrests 'drug lord' Edgar Valdez".BBC News.31 August 2010.Archivedfrom the original on 24 November 2010.Retrieved11 November2012.
  8. ^Vega, Aurora (7 August 2011)."Surgen cuatro grupos del narco en 2011; El Chapo es el capo más poderoso".Excélsior(in Spanish).Archivedfrom the original on 19 March 2012.Retrieved7 August2011.
  9. ^New York Post:December 7th, 2022:Beltran Let's cartel hitman La Barbie missing from prison rolls
  10. ^Thompson, Ginger (4 December 2005)."Mexico in grip of all-out drug war".San Francisco Chronicle.The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on 5 November 2012.Retrieved13 November2012.
  11. ^Samuels, Lennox (21 March 2006)."Man called 'La Barbie' has another name: outlaw".The Dallas Morning News.Archived fromthe originalon 11 February 2009.Retrieved13 November2012.
  12. ^"La Barbie" captured in Mexico ".KGNS-TV.30 August 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 3 October 2011.Retrieved13 November2012.
  13. ^"Mexico nabs alleged drug lord 'La Barbie'".NBC News.31 August 2010.Retrieved13 November2012.
  14. ^"Mexico Says Drug Lord 'La Barbie' Captured".Fox News.The Associated Press.30 August 2010.Archivedfrom the original on 20 March 2013.Retrieved13 November2012.
  15. ^Quinones, John (19 May 2010)."Man or Myth? American Drug Lord 'La Barbie' Fascinates and Terrorizes".ABC News.Archivedfrom the original on 1 August 2013.Retrieved13 November2012.
  16. ^"A convicted drug lord nicknamed 'La Barbie' linked a former Mexican president to drug cartels".Business Insider.
  17. ^McCaul, Michael T. (2006).A Line in the Sand: Confronting the Threat at the Southwest Border(PDF).United States House Committee on Homeland Security.p. 38. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 17 October 2012.
  18. ^De la Luz González, María (22 April 2010)."El Indio peleaba cártel a Héctor Beltrán".El Universal (Mexico City)(in Spanish).Archivedfrom the original on 8 October 2012.Retrieved13 November2012.
  19. ^"Cae 'El Cantante', operador de 'El Indio'".El Universal (Mexico City)(in Spanish). 26 April 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 8 October 2012.Retrieved13 November2012.
  20. ^"Weak bilateral law enforcement presence at the U.S.-Mexico border: territorial integrity and safety issues for American citizens"(PDF).United States House Committee on the Judiciary.17 November 2005. p. 11. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 9 May 2010.Retrieved13 November2012.
  21. ^"Intentaron estafar al CJNG y lo pagaron con la vida: Las revelaciones del caso de los israelíes asesinados en Artz".30 July 2019.
  22. ^"Mexican cartel could be behind the murder of two Israeli criminals".30 July 2019.
  23. ^"The killing of two Israelis gangsters in Mexico City was a settling of scores, reportedly by CJNG".
  24. ^"Mexico's 24 most wanted traffickers".Los Angeles Times.23 March 2009. Archived fromthe originalon 5 March 2011.Retrieved11 November2012.
  25. ^McKinley Jr., James C. (3 December 2005)."Mexico Agents Kidnapped 4, Prosecutor Says".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on 10 November 2012.Retrieved13 November2012.
  26. ^ab"Feds post $2 million reward for alleged caretl kingpin 'La Barbie'".CNN.CNN Wire Staff. 11 January 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 21 October 2012.Retrieved11 November2012.
  27. ^"Police: Accused drug lord moved tons of cocaine to U.S."CNN.31 August 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 11 October 2012.Retrieved13 November2012.
  28. ^"'La Barbie', la película ".El Mundo(in Spanish). 1 September 2010.Archivedfrom the original on 6 September 2010.Retrieved13 November2012.
  29. ^Ellingwood, Ken (24 November 2010)."Mexico drug gang leader arrested".Los Angeles Times.Archivedfrom the original on 14 November 2012.Retrieved14 November2012.
  30. ^"Mexico Prepares to Extradite Drug KingPin 'La Barbie' to US".Latin American Herald Tribune.21 November 2010.Archivedfrom the original on 14 November 2012.Retrieved14 November2012.
  31. ^Corcoran, Katherine (1 October 2015)."Mexico extradites top drug lords 'La Barbie,' 'El Coss' to US from maximum security jail".U.S. News. The Associated Press.
  32. ^Drug lord ‘La Barbie’ sentenced to 49 years in federal prison.Fox News.11 June 2018.
  33. ^""La Barbie" Edgar Valdez-Villarreal Listed as No Longer in Prison Custody ".Retrieved2023-07-10.
  34. ^"Whereabouts of notorious drug lord nicknamed" La Barbie "unknown as Mexico presses U.S. for answers".CBS News. Associated Press. 1 December 2022.
  35. ^López Obrador acusa que "no hay precisión" de EU sobre 'La Barbie',30 November 2022,retrieved2023-07-10
  36. ^Fleming, Mike Jr. (14 January 2015)."Charlie Hunnam Teams With 'American Sniper' Scribe Jason Hall On Legendary's 'American Drug Lord'".
  37. ^Jason Buch of theSan Antonio Express-News,"'La Barbie' movie: Native Laredoan immortalized",Laredo Morning Times,January 17, 2015, p. 1
  38. ^"| Periódico am |".www.am.com.mx.Archived fromthe originalon 6 October 2016.Retrieved13 January2022.
  39. ^"Amie Hammer Secures La Barbie Life Rights for Movie".17 January 2016.
  40. ^"Actor Secures Life Rights from Drug Lord Who Was Subject of Lengthy Rolling Stone Profile".Archived fromthe originalon 2016-01-19.Retrieved2016-01-19.
  41. ^"Armie Hammer Buys Life Rights for Drug Lord 'La Barbie'".18 January 2016.
  42. ^"Actor Armie Hammer Secures Life Rights From Mexico Drug Cartel Boss" La Barbie "".BuzzFeed.17 January 2016.

External links[edit]

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