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

[YESorNO]

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 2h2 hours ago
Keegan Hamilton Retweeted Andrés Manuel

Javier's wife Griselda spoke with Mexican president @lopezobrador_ today about El Chapo's trial and the murder investigation. Her remarks begin at about the 25-minute mark in this video. She calls for the truth, justice, and punishment for the killers.

---Andrés Manuel‏Verified account @lopezobrador_
Conferencia de prensa matutina en vivo desde Palacio Nacional.
5:08 AM - 25 Jan 2019

Andrés Manuel on Twitter

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=2177990295555485

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Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 2h2 hours ago
For more on El Chapo and the murder of Javier Valdez, listen to episode 7 of our podcast.

EP 7: The Fallout
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[YESorNO]

Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer 2h2 hours ago
On Wednesday Lic blamed the shooting death of journalist Javier Valdez Cárdenas on Chapo's sons. (Lic's associates are often blamed.) Thursday Pres. @lopezobrador_ vowed to further investigate. Chapo's defense attorney @balarezolaw wanted to press further, too. From that sidebar:

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[YESorNO]

El Chapo Trial: Witness Describes Alleged Kingpin’s Torture, Murder of Rivals

JANUARY 25, 2019

"...A former henchman of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera accused his onetime boss in court on Thursday of personally torturing and executing enemies, giving jurors a glimpse into a level of cruelty and violence that has long wracked Mexico, but has been mostly unspoken at the trial of Guzmán, who faces life in prison if convicted.

Isaias Valdez Rios, also known as Memín, was the final cooperating witness called by the prosecution to testify against Guzmán, the last of a parade of former friends, associates and underlings to point a finger at Guzmán since his trial began in November.

And with closing arguments in sight — Judge Brian M. Cogan told jurors Thursday they will likely hear the last evidence next week — he viscerally described the brutal violence that el Chapo was allegedly capable of meting out in an effort to maintain control.

Valdez put so much detail into his testimony that at times Cogan appeared exasperated.

“Could we have less narrative, please?” Cogan said at one point...."

Witness Describes El Chapo’s Torture, Murder of Rivals – Rolling Stone
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[YESorNO]

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 2h2 hours ago
Keegan Hamilton Retweeted Emily Palmer

Important to note: Licenciado did not say Chapo told him his sons Iván and Alfredo ordered the murder of Javier Valdez. Judge Cogan misstated the testimony.

---Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer
On Wednesday Lic blamed the shooting death of journalist Javier Valdez Cárdenas on Chapo's sons. (Lic's associates are often blamed.) Thursday Pres. @lopezobrador_ vowed to further investigate. Chapo's defense attorney @balarezolaw wanted to press further, too. From that sidebar:
11:59 AM - 25 Jan 2019

 

[YESorNO]

Lindbergh baby kidnapping case makes bizarre appearance at El Chapo’s trial

January 24, 2019

"The trial of this century just collided with the trial of last century.

Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s defense team grilled a forensic handwriting expert in Brooklyn federal court Thursday — by dragging up the witness’s great grandfather’s role in the Lindbergh kidnapping trial.

John Paul Osborn, a fourth-generation handwriting examiner, took the stand for the prosecution to authenticate letters allegedly sent by Chapo to his right-hand man in 2014 — by comparing them with known samples of Guzman’s writing from letters he’s sent while locked up in the US.

But defense attorney William Purpura — who on Wednesday told Judge Brian Cogan that he considers handwriting examination “junk science” — then ripped into Osborn’s “so-called ‘science,'” asking the witness if he was aware of an FBI study that found forensic handwriting experts “are just moderately more qualified” than the average person.

Osborn said he was not.

The lawyer then tried to question him about his great-grandfather Alfred Osborne, who pioneered the field and testified for the prosecution in the famous Lindbergh baby kidnapping trial...."

https://nypost.com/2019/01/24/lindb...-makes-bizarre-appearance-at-el-chapos-trial/
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[YESorNO]

El Chapo’s Killing Games Could Foreshadow the Outcome of His Trial

01/25/19

"In what is perhaps the most unsurprising revelation of the Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman trial, it has been revealed that the drug lord personally killed multiple people. On Thursday, we got an extremely gruesome look at two incidents circa 2007 in which El Chapo tortured and executed his enemies....

Everybody in the courthouse was entranced. It was the first real instance of direct brutality by El Chapo that the trial, which has been so filled with brutality and dirty drug money, has touched upon. All the other instances had been killings that Guzman ordered others to do, or things that other witnesses had done.

The prosecution is nearing the end of their very extensive case, and Judge Brian Cogan is hopeful that both parties will be able to wrap up by the end of next week and be ready for closing arguments. The defense is not expected to call many witnesses, which looks to be in their own best interest, though there are rumors that El Chapo himself might testify...."

El Chapo’s Killing Games Could Foreshadow the Outcome of His Trial
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[YESorNO]

As El Chapo trial nears end, will the alleged Mexican drug lord testify in his own defense?

Jan. 26, 2019

"NEW YORK — The trial that could send accused Mexican drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán to prison for life is moving toward a conclusion: Closing arguments are expected as soon as next week.

But the timetable could be disrupted by a lingering question: Will Guzmán speak in his own defense, to rebut the avalanche of testimony provided by Guzmán's former associates?

The defense team raised the possibility when they included their client's name on the list of witnesses they might call. They're expected to make a final decision when the government rests its case, as early as Monday....
Hermann Walz is a former New York City prosecutor turned criminal defense attorney.

For Guzmán, he said, the risks of taking the stand could outweigh any benefits.

"What's he going to say – 'It wasn't me?'" Walz asked. "If you get up on the stand and try that, it opens the door to a lot of questions about what you did do."

Guzmán's legal team, aware of the risks, has focused largely on trying to undermine the credibility of the former members of Mexico's Sinaloa drug cartel who have depicted their alleged former boss as a murderer who led a broad conspiracy to smuggle tons of cocaine, heroin and other narcotics into the United States.

A court filing shows the defense team has made tentative plans to call federal investigators in a bid to highlight apparent discrepancies between written summaries of interviews with a prosecution witness and the actual testimony the witness provided in court.

But given the volume of evidence brought by the prosecution, at least one prominent defense attorney unconnected with the case feels Guzmán might need something stronger – and has nothing to lose by testifying....
When his trial adjourned for the week on Thursday, the 12 jurors and six alternates had heard testimony from 54 government witnesses over 33 days over the last two months.

The most recent 10 days of testimony alone showed the legal mountain facing Guzmán..."

As El Chapo trial nears end, will the alleged Mexican drug lord testify in his own defense?
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‘EL CHAPO’ TRIAL: A 3-MONTH PLUNGE INTO BLOODY WAYS OF DRUG TRADE
Former associates, ex-employees and a one-time mistress, most of them now inmates in American prisons, have drawn a blood-soaked picture of the Sinaloa cartel.

"NEW YORK - Over the space of nearly three months, a New York jury has heard 54 witnesses deliver dramatic evidence against accused Mexican drug boss Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman....

According to the witnesses, the Sinaloa cartel flooded the United States with cocaine with the blessing of countless police, military officers and Mexican officials - going all the way up to the president - who turned their heads in exchange for bribes worth millions....

Here is a summary of some of the most striking testimony to date:..."

‘El Chapo’ trial: A 3-month plunge into bloody ways of drug trade
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[YESorNO]

'El Chapo's' lawyers face tough choices at trial's end

JANUARY 27, 2019

"(Reuters) - With federal prosecutors expected to rest their case against Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman on Monday, lawyers for the accused Mexican drug kingpin have given few clues about how they plan to counter three months of testimony by more than 50 government witnesses.

Among the tough choices they face are whether to call their own witnesses to try to undermine the prosecutors’ evidence, and whether Guzman should take the stand in his own defense. One of his attorneys said on Friday that they would not reveal the names of any witnesses unless they decided to call them.

“Similarly, we will not disclose Joaquin’s plans about testifying until the time comes to inform the court,” Guzman lawyer Eduardo Balarezo said in a statement....

The main defense argument, as put forth by Guzman lawyer Jeffrey Lichtman in his opening statement, has been that the real leader of the Sinaloa Cartel is Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, and that Zambada bribed the Mexican and U.S. governments to frame Guzman.

Guzman’s lawyers have discussed multiple potential witnesses with prosecutors in open court, and have filed a motion suggesting they might call an inmate in the U.S. prison system, but they have not publicly revealed any names....

Lichtman said evidence for the defense’s contention that Zambada framed Guzman would emerge from the prosecution’s own witnesses, but such testimony largely failed to materialize. Multiple witnesses described Guzman as either the boss of the cartel or an equal partner with Zambada. The most explosive allegations about bribery came when one witness said Guzman paid $100 million to former Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto. Pena Nieto has denied taking any bribes...."

'El Chapo's' lawyers face tough choices at trial's end | Reuters
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[YESorNO]

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 8h8 hours ago
New: El Chapo's defense team wants to call US federal agents to testify.

Team Chapo seeks to ask the feds who took notes in proffer sessions for Jorge and Alex Cifuentes to explain some inconsistencies in their stories.

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5696110-El-Chapo-s-lawyers-want-to-call-law-enforcement.html …

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 8h8 hours ago
For example, Jorge Cifuentes — one of El Chapo's main Colombian cocaine suppliers — initially testified that he received information about his case from a US Naval Intelligence Officer, then changed his story.

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 8h8 hours ago
Chapo's lawyer also wants to ask about a phone call between Jorge and Alex Cifuentes while they were both in prison. Both brothers say Jorge encouraged Alex to cooperate against El Chapo, but there's no recording of the call. They may have been in contact afterward, too.

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 8h8 hours ago
Alex Cifuentes — who lived with El Chapo in the mountains and worked as his personal secretary — told the feds he visited several stash houses, then denied it while under oath. Chapo's lawyer says he "clearly lied" on the witness stand.

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[YESorNO]

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 8h8 hours ago
The defense also wants to make the case that El Chapo was actually really poor, by bringing a federal agent to testify about Alex Cifuentes' claim that his boss was $20 million in debt for several years.

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 8h8 hours ago
The government, of course, wants to block these witnesses from being called.

There's at least one other defense witness who is currently in federal prison, but that person's identity has not been revealed.

And there remains a possibility that Chapo himself could testify.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 8h8 hours ago
Statement from El Chapo's lawyer @balarezolaw: "To avoid any confusion or rumors, we will not disclose the names of any witnesses unless they are called to testify. Similarly, we will not disclose Joaquin’s plans about testifying until the time comes to inform the Court."


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 8h8 hours ago
This is the government's motion, filed last week, that asks Judge Cogan to block further testimony about "extrinsic evidence" and "purely collateral" statements made by Jorge and Alex Cifuentes.

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5696113-El-Chapo-Government-motion-to-block-testimony.html …

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 8h8 hours ago
Reminder that Jorge Cifuentes was a wild witness. Just a few highlights from his prolific criminal career:

-Laundering money through a climate change foundation
-Multiple kidnappings and murders
-Duping police by using his non-writing hand to give a handwriting sample…

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[Niner]

Monday, January 28th:
*Trial continues (Day 35) (@ 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 29.
1/16/19 Day 30: Gov’t witnesses: Alex Cifuentes Villa. Victor Vazquez, a DEA agent who was involved in the capture of Chapo in 2014. Trial continues on 1/17.
1/17/19 Day 31: Gov’t witnesses: Victor Vasquez, DEA agent (in Mexico) who captured El Chapo in 2014. Homeland Security Investigative agent (no name given). Lucero Guadalupe Sanchez Lopez, a former state legislator from Sinaloa who became romantically involved with Chapo. Trial continues on Tuesday, 1/22, as 1/21 is a holiday.
1/22/19 Day 32: Gov’t witnesses: Lucero Guadalupe Sanchez Lopez. Dámaso "Lic" López Nuñez aka El Licenciado. the former deputy director of security and custody at Puente Grande prison in Jalisco, who orchestrated Chapo's epic prison escape through a mile-long tunnel in 2001. Trial continues on 1/23. Prosecutors say the government could rest its case against El Chapo as soon as Thursday. The defense is expected to call its first witness next Monday.
1/23/19 Day 33: Gov’t witnesses: Dámaso López Nuñez aka El Licenciado. Trial continues on 1/24.
1/24/19 Day 34: Gov’t witnesses: Isaias Valdez Rios, aka Memin, a former Mexican special forces guy, spent 10 years working for Chapo. Trial continues on Monday, 1/28. Government could rest their case as early as Monday.

 

[YESorNO]

Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 4h4 hours ago
On 11/13 when Adam Fels, a prosecutor on the Chapo team, gave the govt's opening statement, he made it seem like there was a single seamless case against the kingpin. But now that prosecutors are about to rest it's clear there was never one case but a quilt of many sewn together.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 4h4 hours ago
Well before he was extradited to New York two years ago, Chapo was facing six separate indictments in six separate judicial districts. The prosecution has essentially built a master case drawing on the strongest elements of each.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 4h4 hours ago
It's been, w/notable exceptions, a remarkable exercise in cooperation. The trial has relied on work by the FBI, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, the Narcotics & Dangerous Drug Section of Main Justice and US Atty's offices in Chicago, Miami, El Paso, San Diego and New York.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 4h4 hours ago
In some cases the indictments reach back more than a decade. The longevity of the case accounts for its scope. The govt's case, likely ending today, was monumental: surveillance photos, drug ledgers, two wiretaps, more than 50 witnesses and bricks of seized cocaine & heroin.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 4h4 hours ago
I'll be writing more about this later, but it was a remarkable undertaking. As the one of the world's biggest drug traffickers Chapo was a unique target. And to build one of the world's biggest drug cases against him took a unique level of collaboration.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 4h4 hours ago
PS. An interesting visitor has showed up for what seems like the prosecution's final day: The actor who plays Chapo in the Netflix series...


Molly Crane-Newman‏Verified account @molcranenewman 4h4 hours ago
Alejandro Edda, who plays El Chapo in the Netflix series ‘Narcos: Mexico,’ is at the #ElChapo trial. El circulo se cierra.

Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 4h4 hours ago
Today we'll hear more from Isaias Valdez, a cartel assassin who gave incredible testimony last week about murders Chapo personally committed. (See below) Then from some law enforcement witnesses who may talk about Chapo's final capture in Los Mochis.

El Chapo Trial: A Cartel Killer Recalls the Kingpin’s Bloodthirsty Side

Jan 24, 2019

El Chapo Trial: A Cartel Killer Recalls the Kingpin’s Bloodthirsty Side
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[YESorNO]

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 3h3 hours ago
Hello from Day 34 and Week 11 of El Chapo's trial.

The end is near! Prosecutors are expected to rest their case today after more testimony from this guy, Isaias Valdez Rios aka Memín.

We could get closing arguments and a verdict within the next week or two.

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 4h4 hours ago
Keegan Hamilton Retweeted Keegan Hamilton

The big question now: Will El Chapo testify in his own defense? It seems unlikely, but anything is possible in this trial.

My thread from yesterday on other possible witnesses for the defense…

---Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton
New: El Chapo's defense team wants to call US federal agents to testify. Team Chapo seeks to ask the feds who took notes in proffer sessions for Jorge and Alex Cifuentes to explain some inconsistencies in their stories.

ww.documentcloud.org/documents/5696110-El-Chapo-s-lawyers-want-to-call-law-enforcement.html …

10:16 AM - 27 Jan 2019

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 4h4 hours ago
Hard to see how the defense recovers from the testimony last week by Memín. ICYMI: He described some gruesome torture and murder that El Chapo himself allegedly committed, including burying a man alive. He also said Chapo shot two Zetas members and burned their bodies to ash.
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[YESorNO]

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 3h3 hours ago
Memín had some other wild stories, like a shootout between Chapo's people and gunmen for a guy named Chapo Isidro. The jury saw this video footage from the aftermath of that battle in Sinaloa.

(video clip: Keegan Hamilton on Twitter )


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 3h3 hours ago
For those wondering about that last tweet, yes — there are two drug traffickers named El Chapo. Aside from the guy on trial who we all know, there's Fausto Isidro Meza Flores aka Chapo Isidro.

Fausto Isidro Meza Flores, alias ‘Chapo Isidro’

NOVEMBER 17, 2016

"Fausto Isidro Meza Flores, alias “Chapo” or “Chapito” Isidro, is a relatively young, formerly low-profile figure believed to have operated in the Mexican underworld since the 1990s. His growing influence in Sinaloa state led the US Treasury Department to designate his network as a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) in January 2013.

History

According to the United States government, Chapo Isidro has been trafficking large quantities of drugs out of Mexico since 2000, operating out of Guasave in Sinaloa state. Other reports claim that he began his criminal career working for Amado Carrillo Fuentes, the one time head of the Juarez Cartel who allegedly died in 1997 following plastic surgery. After Carrillo Fuentes’ death, Chapo Isidro began working with the Beltran Leyva Organization, at that time allied with what would later become their rival — the Sinaloa Cartel.

When Alfredo Beltran Leyva was detained in 2008, producing an acrimonious split between the faction led by Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman and the remaining Beltran Leyva brothers, Chapo Isidro remained with the Beltran Leyvas. ...

In the statement issued by the US Treasury, the body blamed rivalry between Chapo Isidro and Chapo Guzman for causing the quadrupling of drug-war killings over four years in Sinaloa state...."

Fausto Isidro Meza Flores, alias 'Chapo Isidro'

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 3h3 hours ago
I spoke with @rachelnpr on @MorningEdition about what to look for this week at El Chapo's trial. Listen:

News Brief: Government Reopens, 'El Chapo' Trial
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[YESorNO]

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 3h3 hours ago
We have a special guest this morning at the courthouse: @Alejo_Edda, the actor who plays El Chapo on @NarcosNetflix. He's a fan of the podcast!


Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer 3h3 hours ago
Standing in line at security to go into the trial, and who should be behind me but El Chapo ... well, @Alejo_Edda (the actor who plays El Chapo on @NarcosNetflix), but close enough.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 3h3 hours ago
After Memín finishes testifying, we expecting two law enforcement witnesses before the government rests its case. Then we find out what the defense has up its sleeve. Heading up to the courtroom now, stay tuned for updates…
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[YESorNO]

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 2h2 hours ago
Just had another moment that could only happen in El Chapo's trial: @Alejo_Edda, who plays Chapo on #NarcosMexico, shook hands in the courtroom with Chapo's lawyers, who were putting in casting requests: @balarezolaw asked for George Clooney, Bill Purpura requested Al Pacino.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 2h2 hours ago
Hmmmmm @balarezolaw…

Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 2h2 hours ago
The Chapo trial has now gone full meta. Alejandro Edda, who plays the kingpin in Narcos: Mexico is in the courtroom, He just shook hands w/Chapo's lawyers Eduardo Balarezo & Bill Purpura. Balarezo said he wants Clooney to play him in the movie version. Purpura wants Pacino.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 35m35 minutes ago
As Chapo was brought into the courtroom, Purpura leaned over and told him the actor playing him on TV was there.
Chapo looked absolutely ecstatic, grinning from ear to ear. He and Edda shared a glance and what seemed like a brief nod.
"He seemed happy," Purpura later said.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 28m28 minutes ago
Edda borrowed binoculars from someone & was studying Chapo intently. He was also interested in Chapo's wife, Emma Coronel.
(Testimony meanwhile: The cartel killer--also a pilot--was talking about flying into a small Colombian airport obscured by clouds and nearby mountains.)


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 9m9 minutes ago
Brutally slow morning at the trial. The highlight so far was when Chapo's lawyers told him @Alejo_Edda was in the courtroom. A huge grin came across his face. Afterward, lawyer Bill Purpura joked: "He seemed happy, but he thought he'd be taller." (Chapo, of course, means Shorty.)
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[YESorNO]

Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer 11m11 minutes ago
"I couldn't take off in a straight line," Memín recalled of the airstrip in Beliz, continuing: "Because the mountains were too close to the airstrip and at the moment of take-off, I had to take off at a spiral to make sure I could get off."


Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer 9m9 minutes ago
When Memín started cooperating with the government, he stayed at a hotel in D.C., where he had access to TV, phone and internet. "So some of these things that they ask you about, you then look it up on the internet, is that right?" asked @balarezolaw. "Así es," Memín confirmed.


Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer 8m8 minutes ago
Chapo's attorney @balarezolaw made a big deal of Memín's hotel detention. "I don't know the procedure of the United States - I'm not an American," Memín said. "But they had me at a hotel."


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 6m6 minutes ago
So far we've heard all about the cloudy weather at the airport in Ipiales, Colombia, where Memín was involved in a failed drug shipment in 2013.
My favorite detail: Memín and Chapo called each other "bro" in text messages to each other.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 5m5 minutes ago
Memín is now on cross from @balarezolaw, expecting some questions about his torture testimony coming up after the break. Stay tuned for updates…
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[YESorNO]

Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 3h3 hours ago
Edda however wasn't exactly thrilled. He didn't know what to make of Chapo's smile. "Is that a good thing?" he asked, adding it made him a little nervous. Like all of us at this trial, he was having a hard time keeping things straight. "I feel like I'm inside a movie," he said.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 3h3 hours ago
There's something fitting about Edda showing up as the prosecution is poised to rest. As serious as this trial is, it has from the start had a circus-like atmosphere. The show trial aspect started 2 year ago with a huge press conference in Brooklyn announcing Chapo's extradition.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 3h3 hours ago
Chapo and his wife added to the telenovela ambiance with their matching garnet velvet smoking jacket stunt last week (if you missed, I'm sorry, I just can't explain it in a tweet...)


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 3h3 hours ago
We've heard testimony that Chapo, while on the lam in the mountains, was serious enough making a movie about himself that he invited a Colombian producer to his secret hideout for story meetings.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 3h3 hours ago
Now (of course) the actor playing Chapo on Narcos: Mexico is conducting a press conference to a huge group of reporters literally on the courthouse steps...
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[YESorNO]

Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer 5h5 hours ago
"I couldn't take off in a straight line," Memín recalled of the airstrip in Beliz, continuing: "Because the mountains were too close to the airstrip and at the moment of take-off, I had to take off at a spiral to make sure I could get off."


Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer 5h5 hours ago
When Memín started cooperating with the government, he stayed at a hotel in D.C., where he had access to TV, phone and internet. "So some of these things that they ask you about, you then look it up on the internet, is that right?" asked @balarezolaw. "Así es," Memín confirmed.


Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer 4h4 hours ago
Chapo's attorney @balarezolaw made a big deal of Memín's hotel detention. "I don't know the procedure of the United States - I'm not an American," Memín said. "But they had me at a hotel."


Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer 2h2 hours ago
Of Mexico @balarezolaw asked: "I think it's pretty common knowledge that escaping from jail isn't a crime, correct?" Dead silence. Finally, the witness: "You're saying that's NOT a crime?" The question was asked again: "Yes, yes, it is a crime," Memín said.


Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer 2h2 hours ago
I feel bad for the folks coming in on Day 2 of Memín's testimony. Confusion reigns supreme as the defense appears to purposefully muddle the stories, switching out characters and contorting narratives.
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[YESorNO]

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 3h3 hours ago
Chapo's lawyer @NYCDefenseLaw just argued w/ Judge Cogan over whether the defense can call federal agents who debriefed Alex Cifuentes about alleged bribes to Enrique Peña Nieto and Felipe Calderon. Judge isn't having it, issued ruling that limits questions to those witnesses.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 3h3 hours ago
Lichtman argued that Alex Cifuentes was inconsistent about bribes to Mexican presidents, claimed it's "directly related to his bias and his motives to protect the US government and they're doing that to protect the Mexican government."

Cogan: "I don't think any of that matters."


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 3h3 hours ago
Judge Cogan is essentially saying it's not relevant to the case whether Alex Cifuentes can remember the details of Chapo's presidential bribery. He doesn't want to waste the jury's time with more testimony. Of course, the rest of the world wants to know exactly what was said.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 3h3 hours ago
Bill Purpura also asked when the judge would advise Chapo about his right to testify. That will happen shortly after the government rests its case, perhaps this afternoon. If Chapo decides to remain silent, judge will ask him whether he's making that decision on his own.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 3h3 hours ago
All indications are that, despite the hype, Chapo will *not* take the stand to testify in his own defense. That's still subject to change but it seems unlikely at this point.
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