*GUILTY* EL Chapo - Drug Cartel Chief, arrested Trafficking/conspiracy/firearms

[YESorNO]

Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 5h5 hours ago
A few tidbits in a new order issued by the judge in the El Chapo trial: It seems Magarito Flores, one of the Chicago twins who sold tons of coke for Chapo in Chicago & elsewhere, is going to testify. His brother, Pedro, appeared as a witness last month:
The Meeting in the Mountains That Led to $800 Million in Cash for El Chapo


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 5h5 hours ago
Judge Cogan also denied a 2nd request by the defense to cross examine another witness, Vicente Zambada Niebla, on his claims he had a deal w/DEA to traffic drugs in exchange for intel on rival cartels. The judge said it would "create a sideshow" if the deal was brought up.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 5h5 hours ago
Lastly, Judge Cogan ruled the defense can't bring up Operation Fast & Furious, the botched ATF weapons investigation that led to guns reaching cartel hands. The govt is poised to introduce evidence about Fast & Furious weapons, but the defense won't be able to mention the probe.
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[YESorNO]

Amanda Ottaway‏ @amandaottaway 24m24 minutes ago
1/ "El Chapo" Guzman trial chugs on tomorrow, shutdown and all. One difference -- prosecutors and U.S. Marshals aren't getting paid. If the shutdown drags on, jurors could serve without pay as well. (Judge Cogan's salary is unaffected.)


Amanda Ottaway‏ @amandaottaway 23m23 minutes ago
2/ Hard to ignore the strange irony in all this -- the government shutdown is partly over border wall funding. Chapo, aka "El Rapido," is rather famously accused of, uh......building a series of......border tunnels. My story for @CourthouseNews:

With Taut Purse Strings, ‘El Chapo’ Trial Chugs Forward in Shutdown

January 2, 2019

"BROOKLYN, N.Y. (CN) – As the trial of drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman resumes Thursday after the holiday break, a stream of new court filings signal that the government shutdown has not slowed down prosecutors...."

With Taut Purse Strings, ‘El Chapo’ Trial Chugs Forward in Shutdown
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[Niner]

Thursday, Jan. 3rd:
*Trial continues (Day 22) (@ 9am ET) - NY – *Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera (El Chapo) (~61) arrested & charged with smuggled 155 tons of cocaine into U.S. Sinaloa drug cartel chief. Guzmán faces 17-count indictment charging him with drug trafficking, murder conspiracy & money laundering spanning nearly three decades. Plead not guilty to all charges. No bail.
Prosecutors say Guzmán ran Mexico's Sinaloa cartel from 1989 to 2014. In that time, they allege the cartel brought cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine & marijuana into the U.S. Prosecutors also charged Guzmán in connection with the assassinations of thousands of competitors. Plead not guilty to all charges. If convicted, he faces life in prison.
Trial expected to last several months. Also for trafficking, conspiracy & firearms in California, Arizona, Texas, Illinois, Florida & New York.
Skipping over Day 1 thru 18
12/18/18 Day 19: State witnesses: Jorge Milton Cifuentes-Villa. Pedro Flores. (He & his twin brother Margarito grew up in Chicago & became two of the Sinaloa cartel's main distributors in the US). Trial continues on 12/19.
12/19/18 Day 20: State witnesses: Pedro Flores. Law Enforcement witness (undercover cop from the Chicago area who picked up the 20 kilos of heroin that Pedro discussed w/ El Chapo on his secretly recorded call). 2 more government agents: one from the DEA and another from the DEA-SIU of Colombia’s National Police. Thursday (12/20) will be the last day of trial ahead of the winter holiday.
12/20/18 Day 21: Chapo filed a formal motion before the trial began for permission to give the girls a hug on the first day. Judge Cogan denied the request as a security risk. State witnesses: Two witnesses this morning from the Colombian National Police. One was Colombian national police official Yeson Tapasco Suarez & no name on the other one. An ATF firearms expert (prosecutors wheeled into the courtroom an evidence cart filled w/dozens of AK-47s and a hard case containing a rocket-propelled grenade launcher). ATF firearms expert then demonstrated how the weapons worked for the jury. Before the holiday, Judge Brian Cogan ruled on the question of whether El Chapo's defense team had violated court rules by facilitating communication between the drug kingpin and his wife, Emma Coronel Aispuro. The government’s motion for sanctions were partially granted today. The judge further stated that the government had drawn conclusions about El Chapo’s defense team’s transgressions based on mere “coincidence.” The judge also determined that Mariel Colon Miro, the defense team member accused of facilitating the text messages between El Chapo and his wife, could continue meeting with the defendant without another defense member present. Still, the judge admonished two defense team members - Mariel Colon Miro and Michael Lambert (who lent his phone for Google Translate) - for not being “forthcoming” and “candid” in the court’s inquiry regarding their possible misuse of cell phones during El Chapo’s trial. Will be back from Winter break on Thursday, Jan. 3rd.
1/2/19: Judge Cogan has ruled on several issues related to witnesses & evidence. This means the jury won't hear about Operation Fast & Furious, the botched ATF weapons investigation that led to guns reaching cartel hands or Vicente Zambada's claim that the Sinaloa cartel had a secret pact with the DEA. Note that jurors will hear about guns that were successfully seized during Fast & Furious, just not the entire boondoggle.

 

[YESorNO]

Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer 5h5 hours ago
TODAY: We’re counting down the hours ‘til court reopens on El Chapo's trial. Plus, the jury will work through Friday for the first time tomorrow.



Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 1h1 hour ago
Day 22 of El Chapo's trial is just getting underway after a two-week break for the holidays. @miguelfdzflores is in the courtroom today for @vicenews.

Expecting testimony from a major cooperating witness, potentially El Mayo's son Vicente Zambada. Stay tuned for updates.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 1h1 hour ago
Wondering why El Chapo's trial is continuing despite the government shutdown? @amandaottaway has the answer. Turns out the US Marshals who guard Chapo and the federal courthouse won't be getting paid today.

With Taut Purse Strings, ‘El Chapo’ Trial Chugs Forward in Shutdown


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 1h1 hour ago
Keegan Hamilton Retweeted Rikki Klieman

Judge Cogan's decision to limit cross-examination of Vicente Zambada could absolutely create an avenue of appeal for Chapo if/when he's convicted. But would it succeed? Zambada said in his plea deal that his past claims about the DEA were untrue…

----Rikki Klieman‏Verified account @rikkijklieman
Rikki Klieman Retweeted Keegan Hamilton

Big news from #ElChapo trial. Huge win for prosecution but might it create an appellate issue if there is a conviction?
5:09 AM - 3 Jan 2019

---Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton
Some news from El Chapo's trial, which resumes tomorrow. Judge Cogan has ruled on several issues related to witnesses and evidence. This means the jury won't hear about Fast & Furious or Vicente Zambada's claim that the Sinaloa cartel had a secret pact w/ the DEA.
1:11 PM - 2 Jan 2019

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 1h1 hour ago
A little background on El Mayo's son Vicente Zambada and the big issues that will be off-limits during his cross-examination…

PROSECUTORS DON’T WANT EL CHAPO’S JURY TO HEAR HOW THE U.S. GOVERNMENT SENT GUNS TO THE SINALOA CARTEL

Dec 10, 2018

"BROOKLYN, New York — Operation Fast and Furious is among the most epic boondoggles in the history of federal law enforcement, which probably explains why federal prosecutors don’t want jurors in the trial of Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán to hear anything about it.

Fast and Furious was intended as a sting operation by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms to bust gun-runners and straw purchasers along the border. But it ultimately led to American firearms being sent to Mexican cartels and later linked to murders, including the fatal shootings of a Border Patrol agent in 2010 and an ICE agent in 2011...."

Prosecutors don’t want El Chapo’s jury to hear how the U.S. government sent guns to the Sinaloa cartel
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[YESorNO]

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 1h1 hour ago
Listen to our @vicenews podcast about El Chapo. Just before the holidays we released a bonus episode that features me and @miguelfdzflores interviewing a sicario in Mexico City.

BONUS: The Hitman


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 5h5 hours ago
As intermission ends and the leviathan El Chapo trial resumes for its second act, here's a look at what's happened so far--complete w/pull quotes and mini bios of the witnesses. W/@emilyepalmer

El Chapo Trial: Gore, Graft and More of What We’ve Learned So Far

Jan. 3, 2019

"The drug conspiracy trial of Joaquín Guzmán Loera, the Mexican crime lord known as El Chapo, has been something like a marathon of sprints: Four days a week, for nearly two months, a Shakespearean cast of witnesses has appeared in court and told the epic tale of how Mr. Guzmán rose from living in poverty in the mountains of Sinaloa, Mexico, to become one of the richest — and most ruthless — drug dealers in the world.

The trial, in Federal District Court in Brooklyn, paused just before Christmas and resumes on Thursday morning. It is expected to last for another month or two and is likely to proceed at the same grueling pace.

Here, in advance of the trial’s second half, is a brief recap of the testimony so far:..."

El Chapo Trial: Gore, Graft and More of What We’ve Learned So Far
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[YESorNO]

Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 3m3 minutes ago
One of the govt's most important witnesses, Vicente Zambada Niebla, has started testifying at the Chapo trial. As the son of Chapo's partner, Mayo Zambada, Vicente was a top man in the Sinaloa cartel and something like its heir apparent.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 29m29 minutes ago
Per @miguelfdzflores, "Vicente looks like a million bucks, almost the same as his arrest photo." Here's that photo for reference.

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 32m32 minutes ago
Vicente Zambada now testifying against El Chapo. @miguelfdzflores reports that the men exchanged smiles and nods when they first saw each other in the courtroom. As El Mayo's son, Vicente worked closely w/ Chapo and was poised to assume leadership of the Sinaloa cartel.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 28m28 minutes ago
Vicente had $1.3 billion in assets seized after he was arrested. He pleaded guilty after being extradited to the US. He's testifying against El Chapo in hopes of receiving a reduced sentence. He said today that his family has already been brought to the US.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 26m26 minutes ago
Vicente covered some familiar ground. He described his dad El Mayo as the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, said that's who introduced him to Chapo. Also spoke about the shootout at the Guadalajara airport in 1993 and Chapo's first prison escape in 2001.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 26m26 minutes ago
The botched hit on El Chapo at the Guadalajara airport and his subsequent escape from prison in a laundry cart are covered in episode 3 of our podcast. We spoke to sources who questioned the official version of those stories. Listen:

EP 3: The Federation


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 3m3 minutes ago
His testimony started slowly. He's taking the jury through Chapo's basic narrative: Joining forces w/Mayo in the late 80s. Fleeing Mexico in 93 after being blamed for the death of Cardinal Ocampo. Getting arrested, convicted & imprisoned in Mexico. Ultimately escaping in 2001.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 20m20 minutes ago
Vicente had a few new details on that famous escape where Chapo hid in a laundry cart. Chapo once recalled how under the sheets & blankets he could hear the clicks of doors each time he passed thru a checkpoint & was counting until they reached the last one.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 25m25 minutes ago
Vicente said he met with Chapo shortly after the laundry cart escape. He said Chapo laughed at the idea that the entire Mexican government was getting paid: "Only 3-4 people knew. The less people know, the better."


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 19m19 minutes ago
At one point, the laundry guy helping him flee let go of the cart and it started rolling away from him. Chapo feared it might tip over and he'd be discovered.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 21m21 minutes ago
Vicente said Chapo was hiding in a laundry cart during the 2001 escape. He couldn't see anything but he could hear and was "counting the doors" until he reached the front gate. The guy pushing the cart briefly let go of it and lost control: "Imagine if it would've tipped over."


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 19m19 minutes ago
Vicente will be on the stand all day and we'll hear more soon...


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 19m19 minutes ago
Vicente is still testifying. Expect him to remain on the witness stand through today and into tomorrow. More updates to come during the lunch break.
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[YESorNO]

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 23m23 minutes ago
Per @miguelfdzflores, who is inside the packed courtroom today, so far Vicente Zambada is covering the same ground as previous witnesses: How El Chapo rebuilt his empire after escaping from prison, the murder of Rodolfo Carrillo Fuentes, and the war against the Juarez Cartel.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 22m22 minutes ago
Vicente said that after Chapo escaped in 2001 he was broke. Mayo tells him not to worry, he'll take care of him. Mayo says for every kilo of coke he gets from Colombia, Chapo will get a half a kilo too. The arrangement makes them stronger partners.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 24m24 minutes ago
Vicente also detailed the killing of Rodolfo Carrillo Fuentes aka El Niño del Oro or the Golden Boy, the younger brother of Juarez cartel leader Amado Carrillo Fuentes. That incident is mentioned in episode 4 of our podcast. Listen:

EP 4: The Border


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 19m19 minutes ago
El Chapo and El Mayo were allied for many years with the Carrillo-Fuentes brothers, who controlled Ciudad Juarez. Vicente said the trouble began after Amado's death during plastic surgery, when Rodolfo started killing Chapo's people in Novolato, Sinaloa.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 17m17 minutes ago
Vicente said Chapo didn't want problems so they called several meetings with him, Mayo, Rodolfo, and Vicente Carrillo. After a fourth meeting, attended by El Azul, Rodolfo went nuts. Vicente said Rodolfo was shouting at Chapo. That's when he knew there would be a war.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 13m13 minutes ago
Vicente says Mayo, Chapo and Azul have a meeting. Chapo asks Mayo for permission to kill Rodolfo. Mayo is close with the Carrillo-Fuentes fam but tells Chapo he's willing to join the fight. His exact words, per Vicente: "Yo estoy con ustedes. Hicimos la lucha. Vamos padelante."


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 9m9 minutes ago
El Chapo sends a hit squad led by a sicario named El Negro to tail Rodolfo in Culiacán. They follow him and his family to a mall. Rodolfo has bodyguards from the judicial police. There is a shootout and Rodolfo is killed, along with his wife too, "unfortunately," Vicente said.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 8m8 minutes ago
Vicente said Chapo and Mayo were hiding up in the Sierra Madre, listening to the scene unfold on their walkie-talkies. They expected retaliation and eventually got it. Rodolfo's killing ultimately led to the war that turned Juarez into the Western Hemisphere's murder capital.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 3m3 minutes ago
Vicente also spoke about a scheme to break El Chapo's brother, Arturo "El Pollo" Guzmán out of prison in Mexico with a helicopter. Vicente designed bulletproof metal ball that would dangle from the chopper. Idea was for Pollo to just hop in and fly away from the prison yard.
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[YESorNO]

Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 42m42 minutes ago
Vicente, 43, is handsome, well-spoken, a 2nd-gen narco who grew up at his father's knee. Almost from the time he was a teen he was privy to the innermost councils of the Sinaloa cartel. If he wasn't personally taking part in discussions of war, peace & business he overheard them.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 41m41 minutes ago
He described being in the room when one trafficker pitched his father on smuggling coke by train to Chicago and when Chapo asked permission to assassinate a rival, Rodolfo Carrillo Fuentes.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 40m40 minutes ago
When Chapo was on the run form the law living in the mountains, the two would chat about Chapo's old exploits: say, how Chapo once tried to murder another rival, Ramon Arellano Felix, at a Puerto Vallarta night club.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 37m37 minutes ago
In this way, Vicente is exactly what he seems to be: the boss's son--the guy who's always there & has access to the cartel's inner circles and its choicest gossip. The govt appears to be using him to bolster and corroborate stories that other witnesses have already told.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 34m34 minutes ago
That said he offered new things too including details on Chapo's brother, Arturo, or El Pollo (the Chicken.) When Pollo was arrested & put in Altiplano prison Vicente hatched a plan to break him out. The plan was to fly a helo over the yard & drop a rope w/a "steel bubble" on it.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 32m32 minutes ago
That way, Pollo could climb inside and avoid being shot as the helo whisked him away. B4 they could Pollo out, however, he was murdered, Vicente said that among the killers were Chapo's rivals, Vicente Carrillo Fuentes and Benjamin Arellano Felix.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 30m30 minutes ago
Chapo's conflict w/the Arellano Felixes reached back all the way to 1988 when, Vicente said, Ramon Arellano Felix shot & killed one of Chapo's friends, Armando Lopez, at a birthday party for Mayo Zambada.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 29m29 minutes ago
Chapo's conflict w/the Carrillo Fuentes started around 2003 when Rodolfo Carrillo Fuentes was mistreating, even killing, some of Chapo's people in a town near Culiacan.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 26m26 minutes ago
In both wars Vicente was on the peace negotiation teams, taking part in efforts to avoid more fighting. Both times he failed but it indicates how in the mix of things he was. He was often his father's emissary, flying around Mexico in private jets bringing messages from Mayo.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 17m17 minutes ago
Fun fact of the day from the Chapo trial:

When Chapo was in prison (for the first time), his younger brother, Arturo, had a special phone on which he received calls from Chapo. The phone was in an entirely separate apartment from the one he lived in.
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[YESorNO]

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 11m11 minutes ago
El Pollo was shot to death in prison before the helicopter escape plan was put into action. Vicente blamed the hit on the Arellano-Felix brothers, Gulf cartel leader Osiel Cardenas, and Vicente Carrillo Fuentes.

Here's a story about the killing from 2005:

Drug turf war flares in Mexico prison

16 Jan 2005

"The Mexican government has put its highest-security jail under military siege as rivalry between the country's drug lords reaches a new pitch.

Tanks were yesterday guarding the approaches to the jail, known as La Palma, while federal agents patrolled the buildings that house some of the country's most prominent drug traffickers.

The operation underlines both the continued power of the jailed drug lords and the seriousness of the wars between the country's cartels, which have left dozens of people dead in recent months.

The government said there were "risks to the physical integrity of some inmates and the possibility of an escape" at the prison.

The action comes two weeks after Arturo Guzman, nicknamed the Chicken, was killed by another prisoner, who shot him seven times with a 9mm pistol smuggled past seven checkpoints into the jail. He was the third inmate murdered in less than a year.

The war is rooted in the traffickers' response to an unprecedented government crackdown in the past three years that has put several of the biggest dealers behind bars...."

Drug turf war flares in Mexico prison


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 6m6 minutes ago
Vicente also told a story about joining Amado Carrillo to meet the leaders of the Tijuana cartel in the early 90s. He was still young had to wait in the kitchen while business was discussed. He overheard Benjamin Arellano-Felix tell Amado about a plan to kill Chapo and Mayo.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 12m12 minutes ago
Vicente said Amado declined to join the Arellano-Felix brothers in their war against Chapo. "You'll have to kill me too," he recalled Amado saying.

Then Benjamin Arellano-Felix, who was perhaps the most ruthless cartel leader of his era, found out Vicente was in the kitchen…


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 11m11 minutes ago
Vicente said Benjamin Arellano-Felix yelled at him: "I'm going to kill your dad and Chapo.… se van a arrepentir de no habernos matado." Translation: "They will regret not having killed us."


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 8m8 minutes ago
After the tense meeting in Tijuana ends, Amado and Vicente head straight to the airport. When Vicente returns to Sinaloa, he tells his dad what happened. El Mayo isn't happy — because Vicente was a late and had to miss a day of school. Such is the life of a Sinaloa cartel scion.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 6m6 minutes ago
All of this testimony relayed to me by @miguelfdzflores, who is inside the courtroom today. Also follow @alanfeuer, who is giving his own play-by-play of the proceeding. More updates to come later this afternoon.
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[YESorNO]

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 2h2 hours ago
Vicente Zambada literally grew up inside the Sinaloa cartel. He was groomed to take over for his father El Mayo. It's likely that nobody aside from Chapo's own sons has a more intimate knowledge of the organization.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 2h2 hours ago
From @miguelfdzflores: Vicente isn't just testifying against Chapo — he's incriminating his dad, too. And pulling no punches. Said El Mayo issued him direct orders about a murder. Seems almost casual: "Every time there's a break, he looks for El Chapo, he's smiling, nodding."


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 2h2 hours ago
Vicente's testimony is turning out to be encyclopedic, both sweeping & granular at the same time. He seems to know everything & everyone: Chapo's suppliers, distributors, bodyguards, assassins, his brothers, nephews, cousins and sons.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 2h2 hours ago
He can speak fluently about ephedrine shipments in Belize, coke loads hidden in palettes of frozen meat, about transferring hundreds of thousands of dollars in illicit profits from an exchange house in LA to one in Culiacan.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 2h2 hours ago
He's got details on submarine shipments off the coast of Colombian and how Mexican families were hired to drive cars w/secret compartments across the border at Juarez, sometimes 3 or 4 times a day.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 2h2 hours ago
He personally took part in a meeting in the Sinaloa mountains w/cartel leaders, representatives of Pemex, the national oil company, and reps for "high level politicians" (who were never named.)

The proposed deal? Ship 100 TONS of coke in a tanker vessel owned by Pemex.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 2h2 hours ago
It's a lot. In fact, it's almost too much...


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 1h1 hour ago
Vicente finally got to corruption. Two big items:
1) He said his father had General Altimo, a high ranking official in the Mexican Defense Dept, on a $50,000 monthly salary.
2. Mayo also paid a monthly stipend to a certain Colonel Adams, one of President Fox's personal guards.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 1h1 hour ago
Colonel Adams, nicknamed El Chiclet, was Mayo's personal spy, passing sensitive info to the trafficker. For instance, Vicente said, Adams told Mayo and Chapo the deployment of forces sent to capture Chapo after he escaped from prison in 2001. More soon...


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 1h1 hour ago
Oh, almost casually, Vicente noted that Mayo's *monthly* payoffs to the authorities totaled about $1 million. MONTHLY.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 2m2 minutes ago
El Chapo's trial is done of the day. Recap of the last bits via @miguelfdzflores. Vicente gave a detailed explanation of how the cartel paid bribes to ensure drugs moved safely across Mexico. Officials would receive a bonus when a load successfully reached its destination.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 9m9 minutes ago
Vicente said one commander in the Sinaloa AG's office would get $30-50k a month. Another $30-50k went to the state judicial police. He testified that Mayo also has contacts in the federal police, various branches of the military, and SIEDO, which investigates organized crime.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 7m7 minutes ago
Vicente Zambada testified today that El Mayo's faction of the Sinaloa cartel had $1 million of estimated monthly payroll set aside for bribing security forces.
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[YESorNO]

El Chapo trial: Jury takes note of drug lord's sensational deeds

Jan 2, 2019

"The trial of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, one of the world's most notorious drug lords, is resuming in New York after the holiday break.
Prosecutors have been outlining the allegations against El Chapo since November. The jury in the Brooklyn court has seen some extraordinary exhibits during the trial...."

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El Chapo trial resumes after holiday recess

Jan 3, 2019

"The El Chapo trial has resumed after a two week holiday recess. But before the trial began again, the judge handed down several key rulings that could be risky for the prosecution. CBS legal analyst Rikki Klieman joined CBSN to recap the last 6 weeks and break down what the latest rulings mean."

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[YESorNO]

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 2m2 minutes ago
Vicente said a top Mexican army general called a meeting in 2007. Various groups were teaming up to fight a war against Chapo and Mayo. The general said he wanted to be on their side, so Mayo gave him $50K right then for his loyalty, then promised another $50K monthly.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 8m8 minutes ago
Vicente also said that in 2001, Marco Antonio de León Adams, head of the security for then-president Vicente Fox, would meet regularly with Mayo in Mexico City. After Chapo escaped from prison, Adams would regularly update Mayo on where the government thought Chapo was hiding.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 5m5 minutes ago
Vicente said that when Adams leaked updates about the post-escape hunt for Chapo, Mayo would send Vicente to pick up Chapo in a helicopter and take him to safety. That story echoes one told earlier in the trial by Mayo's brother Jesus "El Rey" Zambada.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 4m4 minutes ago
Here's a @revistaproceso piece about Adams. It says he was the main bodyguard for Vicente Fox until he was removed from his post without explanation in 2005.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 12m12 minutes ago
Vicente said Adams used the code name "El Chicle" because Adams is a brand of bubble gum in Mexico.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 10m10 minutes ago
Chapo's trial is normally off on Fridays, but tomorrow is an exception. Vicente will be back on the witness stand all day.

I'll be back in Brooklyn next week. Until then, stay tuned for more updates via @miguelfdzflores, who said the courthouse was "like Disneyland" today.
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[YESorNO]

El Chapo and his beauty queen wife are immortalized as Simpsons characters in their own cartoon 'Queen Emma' following her appearances at her husband's drug trafficking trial

3 January 2019

"Alexsandro Palombo illustrates the life of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman and his wife, Emma Coronel, as characters of the famed animated comedy series

The Italian contemporary artist had already presented a series of characters in the likeness of the jailed Sinaloa Cartel leader in 2015 following his jail escape

Most of the illustrated characters are centered around Coronel, who has developed a media following during while attending her husband's trial

'She has all the characteristics to be an iconic figure', Palombo said of Coronel..."

El Chapo, wife are immortalized in 'Queen Emma!, an illustrated series of Simpsons characters | Daily Mail Online

(Italian contemporary Pop artist and activist Alexsandro Palombo illustrated El Chapo, his wife Emma Coronel and the couple's twin daughter in a series of Simpsons-like characters )

(El Chapo's fictional character is placed inside a jail cell with newspapers and magazine covers featuring his stunning wife)

(In 2015, Alexsandro Palombo depicted El Chapo's prison escape. The infamous drug dealer is featured with former president Enrique Pena Nieto)

(One of the post includes 10 different renderings of the Sinaloa Cartel leader's wife)

(All of Palombo's illustrations featuring Emma Coronel place her directly in front of the Brooklyn federal courthouse where he husband El Chapo is standing trial)
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[YESorNO]

Behind the El Chapo trial: what's been left unsaid in a New York courtroom
The alleged Mexican drug kingpin’s trial resumes on Thursday but, amid riveting testimony so far, strange silences have lurked

3 Jan 2019

"The tectonic plates beneath a big mafia trial shift out of sight from the proceedings, but occasionally there is a glimpse of the bigger picture. The trial of the alleged Sinaloa cartel chief Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán – which resumes on Thursday – has been no exception.

The proceedings have offered extraordinary detail of the workings of a Mexican cartel, but have been hallmarked by what is unseen – and kept that way by Judge Brian Cogan.


Day-to-day testimony has been like a Netflix thriller, yet it has obscured the nexus of top-level corruption the world’s biggest criminal organisation operated north and south of the US border.

The detail from cartel “snitches” testifying for the prosecution against their old boss or partner has been riveting...."

Behind the El Chapo trial: what's been left unsaid in a New York courtroom

(Jorge Cifuentes is cross-examined during the trial of ‘El Chapo’ in Brooklyn federal court in New York. Photograph: Jane Rosenberg/Reuters)
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El Chapo jury hears testimony from cartel cohort

1/3/19

"NEW YORK — A former Mexican drug trafficker who once claimed he was a double agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration took center stage on Thursday against infamous kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman at a U.S. trial.

Vicente Zambada became the latest in a parade of cooperators to testify as government witnesses in the conspiracy case against Guzman in federal court in Brooklyn. Like the others, he described the rampant violence and greed that accompanied Guzman’s rise to power atop the Sinaloa cartel.

Lawyers for Guzman – who was sent to the United States in 2017 after gaining notoriety for twice escaping Mexican jails – have sought to portray the cooperators as shady opportunists willing to exaggerate their client’s involvement in the drug trade to earn breaks in their own cases.

Zambada, 43, is the son of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, another cartel boss who’s still at large. His uncle, former cartel member Jesus Zambada, has also testified at Guzman’s trial...."

El Chapo jury hears testimony from cartel cohort
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[YESorNO]

'El Chapo' Guzman trial: With a nod and smile, former associate describes $1M-plus corruption budget

January 3, 2019

"New York (CNN)The former Mexican drug trafficker greeted alleged kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman with a nod and a smile on Thursday before revealing that the Sinaloa cartel maintained a corruption budget of more than $1 million per month.

Vicente Zambada, 43, the latest cooperating witness at Guzman's conspiracy trial in Brooklyn, New York, federal court, shed light on the millions paid by the cartel to corrupt government officials on its way to becoming one of the world's most significant organized crime organizations.

The son of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada -- a wanted man who allegedly heads the cartel now that Guzman is behind bars -- Zambada walked into court wearing a dark prison uniform. He smiled and nodded at Guzman, who sat at the defense table wearing a dark navy blue suit and matching tie.

While testifying against his onetime mentor, Zambada repeatedly referred to Guzman, 61, in Spanish as "mi compadre," or "my buddy." Zambada said he has known Guzman since he was 15, and that Guzman is the godfather of his youngest son....

Zambada returns to the stand on Friday."

'El Chapo' Guzman trial: With a nod and smile, former associate describes $1M-plus corruption budget - CNN
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[YESorNO]

Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 2h2 hours ago
Alan Feuer Retweeted AMBart

Thanks to this reader who points out an article from 2006 about the member of Vicente Fox's personal guard who, according to testimony today at the El Chapo trial, was on the payroll of Mayo Zambada and Sinaloa drug cartel.

---AMBart‏ @karnabalito
Replying to @alanfeuer
https://www.proceso.com.mx/95922/era-su-escolta-y-desaparecio … Este es al que se refieren Adams
1:44 PM - 3 Jan 2019


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 2h2 hours ago
"Since Vicente Fox won the presidency of the republic, a man became his shadow: Marco Antonio de León Adams, head of his personal guard, who took care of him during these years. However, suddenly, the military officer was removed from office without any official notice." Hmm.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 2h2 hours ago
The Sinaloa cartel prince-in-waiting, Vicente Zambada Niebla, appeared as a witness today at the El Chapo trial and betrayed El Chapo, his own father and the drug empire he was groomed to run. He'll be back tomorrow for more...

At the El Chapo Trial, a Son Betrays His Father, and the Cartel

Jan. 3, 2019

"Aside from the chiefs who ran the organization, no one likely knows more about the Sinaloa drug cartel than Vicente Zambada Niebla.

A son of Ismael Zambada García, one of the cartel’s leaders, Mr. Zambada, from an early age, was groomed to take control of the group.

But on Thursday, in a spectacular reversal, the cartel prince betrayed his father — and his birthright — testifying for more than five hours about nearly every aspect of the drug-trafficking empire: smuggling routes, money-laundering schemes, bloody wars, personal vendettas and multimillion dollars in bribes. When it came to the enterprise he seemed poised to lead one day, Mr. Zambada proved he knew almost everyone and everything.

His bravura turn on the witness stand came at the midway point in the drug trial of his father’s former partner, Joaquín Guzmán Loera, the infamous crime lord known as El Chapo. Since the trial began in November, seven other witnesses who worked with Mr. Guzmán have testified against him. But none were more conversant with the structure and details of the kingpin’s business than Mr. Zambada...."

At the El Chapo Trial, a Son Betrays His Father, and the Cartel

(Vicente Zambada Niebla, a former top lieutenant in the Sinaloa cartel, testified on Thursday in the drug trial of Joaquín Guzmán Loera, the infamous crime lord known as El Chapo.)


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 1h1 hour ago
@DorisGomora points out that the Mexican Army general implicated today as taking a $50,000 monthly salary from the cartel is Humberto Eduardo Antimo Miranda.
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[YESorNO]

El Chapo hears former protege turned government witness give damaging testimony at drug kingpin’s trial

"NEW YORK — Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s trafficking trial resumed Thursday with a Sinaloa Cartel capo fresh off a guilty plea in Chicago giving insider details of the Mexican drug lord’s life — including his 2001 prison break.

Vicente Zambada Niebla, 43, the son of reigning Sinaloa kingpin Ismael (El Mayo) Zambada, walked into the Brooklyn courtroom and eerily exchanged smiles and nods with Chapo, whose real name is Joaquin Guzman Loera.

In early November, Vicente pleaded guilty in Chicago to trafficking thousands of pounds of Colombian cocaine through Mexico to the U.S. using submarines, speedboats and private aircraft, court records show.

A top Chapo protege before his 2009 arrest in Mexico City, Vicente took the witness stand with the hope of receiving a reduced sentence and eventual U.S. visa...

“My dad is the Sinaloa Cartel leader,” Vicente testified....

Chapo wore a grim expression during the testimony about his dead brother....

His wife gave a TV interview last month painting Chapo as a gentle family man, but on Thursday, Vicente backed up brutal testimony previously delivered by his uncle, Jesus Reynaldo (El Rey) Zambada Garcia, at the start of the trial.

Vicente said it was true Chapo ordered the death of Juarez Cartel member Rodolfo Carrillo Fuentes in 2004 after the man refused to shake his hand.

He said a paid assassin, known as a sicario, carried out the killing under Guzman’s orders...."

El Chapo hears former protege turned government witness give damaging testimony at drug kingpin’s trial
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[Chelly]

Wow, YoN. Can't thank you enough for posting these accounts and tweets. Kudos to you.

 

[Niner]

Oh I love the Simpson type characters!! Always watched that, but can't get it here anymore...

Totally agree with you Chelly!!

Bravo! YESorNO!!

 

[Niner]

Friday, January 4th:
*Trial continues (Day 23) (@ 9am ET) - NY – *Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera (El Chapo) (~61) arrested & charged with smuggled 155 tons of cocaine into U.S. Sinaloa drug cartel chief. Guzmán faces 17-count indictment charging him with drug trafficking, murder conspiracy & money laundering spanning nearly three decades. Plead not guilty to all charges. No bail.
Prosecutors say Guzmán ran Mexico's Sinaloa cartel from 1989 to 2014. In that time, they allege the cartel brought cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine & marijuana into the U.S. Prosecutors also charged Guzmán in connection with the assassinations of thousands of competitors. Plead not guilty to all charges. If convicted, he faces life in prison.
Trial expected to last several months. Also for trafficking, conspiracy & firearms in California, Arizona, Texas, Illinois, Florida & New York.
Skipping over Day 1 thru 20
12/20/18 Day 21: Chapo filed a formal motion before the trial began for permission to give the girls a hug on the first day. Judge Cogan denied the request as a security risk. State witnesses: Two witnesses this morning from the Colombian National Police. One was Colombian national police official Yeson Tapasco Suarez & no name on the other one. An ATF firearms expert (prosecutors wheeled into the courtroom an evidence cart filled w/dozens of AK-47s and a hard case containing a rocket-propelled grenade launcher). ATF firearms expert then demonstrated how the weapons worked for the jury. Before the holiday, Judge Brian Cogan ruled on the question of whether El Chapo's defense team had violated court rules by facilitating communication between the drug kingpin and his wife, Emma Coronel Aispuro. The government’s motion for sanctions were partially granted today. The judge further stated that the government had drawn conclusions about El Chapo’s defense team’s transgressions based on mere “coincidence.” The judge also determined that Mariel Colon Miro, the defense team member accused of facilitating the text messages between El Chapo and his wife, could continue meeting with the defendant without another defense member present. Still, the judge admonished two defense team members - Mariel Colon Miro and Michael Lambert (who lent his phone for Google Translate) - for not being “forthcoming” and “candid” in the court’s inquiry regarding their possible misuse of cell phones during El Chapo’s trial. Will be back from Winter break on Thursday, Jan. 3rd.
1/2/19: Judge Cogan has ruled on several issues related to witnesses & evidence. This means the jury won't hear about Operation Fast & Furious, the botched ATF weapons investigation that led to guns reaching cartel hands or Vicente Zambada's claim that the Sinaloa cartel had a secret pact with the DEA. Note that jurors will hear about guns that were successfully seized during Fast & Furious, just not the entire boondoggle.
1/3/19 Day 22: Vicente Zambada Niebla, the son of Chapo's partner, Mayo Zambada; Vicente was a top man in the Sinaloa cartel & something like its heir apparent. Trial continues 1/4.