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

[YESorNO]

Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 4h4 hours ago
For argument's sake let's say there's a hung jury, even acquittal, in the Chapo trial. What happens next? Chapo is facing charges in 6 districts other than Brooklyn and would be taken into custody again on one of those pending detainers. He would not pass go or collect $200.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 4h4 hours ago
Almost certainly, another trial would be scheduled. That trial might take place in another district like El Paso, Texas. There is some overlap of charges in the separate indictments but the charges aren't identical. Double jeopardy would likely not apply.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 4h4 hours ago
As for the Brooklyn jury, today is their 4th day of deliberations. That's not an unusual stretch for an 11-week trial with vast amounts of evidence. It may *feel* like a long time to those who watched the entire trial but, objectively speaking, it's not that long.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 4h4 hours ago
The El Paso indictment cites crimes not mentioned at the Brooklyn trial that violate specific Texas laws.
Just one: In 9/09, the cartel kidnapped a victim in Texas known as SS after he lost 670 lbs of pot. He was beaten, strangled & his severed hands were placed on his chest.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 4h4 hours ago
Also in the El Paso indictment:
In 5/10, a groom was kidnapped from his own wedding ceremony in Juarez w/his brother & uncle on cartel orders. They were tortured, killed & their bodies found by Juarez cops in the back of an abandoned pick up.
We never heard that in Brooklyn.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 4h4 hours ago
(The Juarez wedding kidnappings/tortures/murders have a nexus to US law because the indictment says the groom was a resident of New Mexico and the cartel used someone in El Paso to identify him.)
Etc.


Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer 2h2 hours ago
Four days into deliberations, 42 days into Chapo's trial. Expecting another slow day. I'll send occasional notes of ellipses just so you know we're all still here and at it.
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Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 1h1 hour ago
Odd moment just now in the courtroom: A man who claimed to be a family member of El Chapo's was kicked out of the courtroom. He was sitting in the row reserved for Chapo's wife and the defense. Marshals confronted him, they argued, and he was moved into the overflow room.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 1h1 hour ago
When I tried to warn the guy not to sit in the defense row, he shot me a nasty look and said he was family. Folks sitting behind him asked for more info, he said he's an Italian from Milan but close to the Guzman-Loera family. Guy said he owns houses across Mexico and Europe.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 58m58 minutes ago
This is really nothing — a lot of curious people have shown up at the trial, but when a confrontation happens like that in a room full of news-starved reporters, it suddenly becomes a story.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 1h1 hour ago
A strange mini-drama this morning in court. A man claiming to be "family" of Chapo was kicked out of the main courtroom and placed into the overflow room. Here's what happened:


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 1h1 hour ago
The man sat in the row reserved for the defense and where Chapo's wife, Emma Coronel, usually sits. When asked by a Spanish-speaking reporter who he was, he said he was Chapo's family--from Milan, Italy. When he pressed, he amended things, saying his family was close to Chapo's.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 1h1 hour ago
One of the US marshals providing courtroom security then told the man he couldn't sit in the defense row and--with a very obvious attitude--he claimed again he was "family." The attitude got him escorted out of the courtroom into the overflow room.
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[YESorNO]

Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 1h1 hour ago
This followed a morning consumed by a completely unsubstantiated rumor that two jurors had called in sick, threatening to delay deliberations. That's the general state of affairs here. In the absence of actual news, gossip and minor dramas have taken over...


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 59m59 minutes ago
It was @keegan_hamilton who 1st alerted the Chapo "relative" he was sitting in the defense row. The guy, unpleasantly, said he was family. When the Spanish-speaking reporter mentioned he didn't sound like he was from Italy he said he had many houses around the world


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 57m57 minutes ago
There's definitely a weird vibe in the courthouse today.
At 930 am, in a separate matter, a Colombian vet will be sentenced on charges of raising dogs on a farm in Medellin and surgically implanting liquid heroin in their bellies for smuggling.


Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer 2m2 minutes ago
Also in the Eastern District: Andres Elorez, a Colombian with veterinary training, will be sentenced today for conspiracy to import a controlled substance. He sewed balloons filled with liquid heroin into the stomachs of puppies, some of whom died.


Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer 6m6 minutes ago
The sentencing was supposed to happen this morning, but it has been delayed, with speculations of a lockdown at the MDC.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 50m50 minutes ago
There was also an unsubstantiated rumor circulating this morning that two members of the jury had called in sick. As far as we know, there's nothing to confirm that. Deliberations should be getting underway soon, if they haven't already started. Be wary of fake Chapo news today.


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[YESorNO]

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 24m24 minutes ago
Keegan Hamilton Retweeted Melissa Chan

More on the guy who got kicked out of the courtroom this morning after claiming to be related to Chapo…

---Melissa Chan‏Verified account @melissalchan
“I’m going to the Oscars. I can send you pictures. Do you like pictures?” — one of the many annoying things this guy said while waiting on the security line. Also that he was a “trust fund baby.” “Do you know what that is?”
6:30 AM - 7 Feb 2019


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 16m16 minutes ago
Elsewhere in the courthouse, the Colombian veterinarian who tried to smuggle heroin *inside live puppies* is about to be sentenced. Lots of bored Chapo reporters heading to watch that proceeding.

Vet pleads guilty to smuggling heroin inside live puppies

September 28, 2018

"An aspiring veterinarian turned drug trafficker who sliced open live puppies to import heroin into the U.S. confessed Friday to his monstrous crimes.

Andres Lopez Elorez told the court he was in veterinary school in Colombia when he leased a plot of land on a farm to perform the heinous operations....

He pleaded guilty Friday to a single charge of conspiracy to import a controlled substance into the United States.

Elorez faces up to life behind bars when sentenced on January 17...."

Vet pleads guilty to smuggling heroin inside live puppies

(Some of the puppies rescued from being used as canine drug mules.Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division)



Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 17m17 minutes ago
Hearing that the weird guy who claimed to be a Chapo family member was just arrested. Heading up to courtroom to confirm and get more info.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 11m11 minutes ago
Multiple people saw the guy who claimed to be a Chapo relative get taken out of the overflow courtroom in handcuffs. He went quietly. Word is that it was for an outstanding warrant, but U.S. Marshals who run security for the courtroom declined to confirm or comment.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 8m8 minutes ago
You have to show photo ID to get into the courtroom, so the U.S. Marshals — who are also in charge of apprehending fugitives — likely decided to run this guy's name through the system. Unclear if the warrant was for a state or federal case. That's all we know at this point.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 4m4 minutes ago
The guy looked to be in late 40s or early 50s. He was short with a paunchy belly and a mop of brown hair. He arrived to line up outside the courthouse at 6:55am and gave the name "Rene Martinez" when he put his name on the unofficial list kept by @SeishinNY.
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[YESorNO]

Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 37m37 minutes ago
Ok, so the day gets weirder: Law enforcement just escorted the Chapo relative/friend out of the overflow courtroom in handcuffs. One official said the man had an open warrant, but it doesn't seem to be at all related to Chapo's case.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 36m36 minutes ago
Reporters in the overflow room said 7 to 8 marshals and/or court security officers removed him from the room and cuffed him. I personally saw him in the hallway being led to the elevators and downstairs.
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[YESorNO]

Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 12m12 minutes ago
Chapo's lawyers have now called the arrested man a fraud. "The family doesn't know him--no relation," said Jeff Lichtman. "The family disavows him completely. He's an imposter."


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 11m11 minutes ago
Statement from Chapo's lawyer @NYCDefenseLaw on the man who was arrested this morning at the courthouse after claiming to be a relative of the Guzman-Loera family: "The family doesn't know him — no relation.

The family disavows him completely. He's an imposter."


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 11m11 minutes ago
I waited to identify the man but others have named him so:
He ID'd himself on a list of courtroom visitors as "Rene Martinez." He arrived at the courthouse this morning at 6:55 am, according to the list.
He's late 40s/early 50's with longish hair in a sweater.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 2m2 minutes ago
Law enforcement now confirms the name on the guy's driver license--a NY state driver's license--was indeed Rene Martinez. Martinez apparently had multiple open warrants. He will be presented in Brooklyn State Supreme Court later today.
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[YESorNO]

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 9m9 minutes ago
Now hearing man who claimed to be El Chapo's relative was arrested on multiple New York state warrants. Still no clarity on the nature of the charges.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 5m5 minutes ago
Other reporters who stood next to the guy in line said he claimed to be from a wealthy family involved in fashion and finance. He said his family owns properties in Malibu, Milan, Madrid, and Ibiza. He said he was visiting New York for surgery related to a motorcycle crash.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 3m3 minutes ago
The arrested guy said his mom asked him to come to the trial to support El Chapo. He claimed his close with the Guzmán-Loera family. He claimed to know Emma Coronel. Chapo's lawyer has denied any connection and called him "an imposter."


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 2m2 minutes ago
Meanwhile, El Chapo's jury is now in hour 20 of deliberations. No notes to the court yet today.
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[YESorNO]

More

Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer 19m19 minutes ago
An arrest made this a.m. just outside El Chapo's courtroom: Rene Martinez, who claimed to be a friend of the family, was arrested on several open state warrants pending in Brooklyn. Marshals ran his name (provided on his license) after he tried to sit in a reserved row in court.


Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer 14m14 minutes ago
Darrel King, the supervisor deputy of US Marshals, said the NYPD would takeover Martinez's case and “we’re still looking into” the man's own claim that he is connected to Chapo. From @NYCDefenseLaw, one of Chapo’s attorneys: "The family disavows him completely. He's an imposter."


Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer 13m13 minutes ago
To follow on this, I spoke with Darrel King, the supervisor deputy of US Marshals, who confirmed the MDC bus delay to Brooklyn Federal Court but said that no lockdown had occurred, attributing the delay to “nothing out of the ordinary.”


Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer 4m4 minutes ago
Andres Lopez Elorez was sentenced today to 72 months in prison for surgically implanting heroin-filled balloons into the stomachs of puppies on a farm in Medellín between 2004 and 2005. The puppies were then flown to the US, where the balloons were surgically removed.

Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer 12m12 minutes ago
The prosecutor, Alicia N. Washington, said he must be held "responsible for betraying his responsibility as a veterinarian. Without his skillset these Colombian traffickers couldn't have done what they did."


Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer 4m4 minutes ago
The prosecutor said that after Colombian national police found the farm in January 2005, where the heroin-filled puppies were kept, they “performed surgery on the dogs that were still alive.” Three puppies died following the surgeries, however.


Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer 4m4 minutes ago
Speaking through an interpreter at his sentencing, Elorez said that the 2004-2005 time period was a “very difficult time for me, they were formative years for me personally and professionally.”


Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer 5m5 minutes ago
Of his mentor, who he claims ran the operation, Elorez said he did “everything he could professionally to help me out and also taught me that there was a door I should never open, but unfortunately I did open it.”


Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer 2m2 minutes ago
In September Elorez plead guilty for conspiring to import heroin into the United States via liquid heroin-filled balloons surgically implanted in puppies who were flown into the country. He also secured the lease for the farm in Medellín, Colombia, where the surgeries took place.


Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer 4m4 minutes ago
On Jan. 1, 2005, law enforcement stormed the farm in Medellín, seizing 17 bags of liquid heroin (10 of which were already implanted in the puppies) and totaling almost three kilograms. Three puppies died from a virus contracted during the emergency surgery.


Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer 3m3 minutes ago
Although sentenced to six years behind bars, Elorez will likely get credit for the 3.5 years he already served. Following his incarceration, he'll be deported back to Spain (where his wife and children reside) or to Colombia (where his attorney expressed fear for his safety).
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[YESorNO]

The Latest: Man arrested while El Chapo jury deliberates

February 7, 2019

"NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on deliberations at the trial of Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman (all times local):

1:10 p.m.

Jurors at the U.S. trial of Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman are contemplating their case for a fourth day.

Meanwhile, some colorful action erupted in the courtroom nearby, presumably out of jurors’ earshot.

A man showed up claiming to be a Guzman relative and trying to use seating for family members. He was removed to an overflow courtroom and then taken out in handcuffs and arrested on multiple outstanding warrants...."

The Latest: Man arrested while El Chapo jury deliberates
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[YESorNO]

Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 8m8 minutes ago
Turns out Martínez had open warrants on three aggravated harassment charges. According to a complaint, after some sort of argument, he texted a woman: “I’m coming after you and I know where you work.”


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 8m8 minutes ago
Why was he attending Chapo’s trial? Remains unclear...


Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer 11m11 minutes ago
Correction: The puppies, stuffed with heroin, were not flown into the United States -- that was the intention, but it never happened. Colombian police found the puppies ahead of time. The heroin was seized and the puppies rescued.
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[YESorNO]

Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer 3h3 hours ago
Update: Rene Javier Rivera Martinez is now in the custody of ICE.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 3h3 hours ago
Here's the criminal complaint against the man who was arrested today at El Chapo's trial. He had an outstanding warrant for three harassment charges. He allegedly texted a woman "“What the is this , I'm coming after you, and I know where you work, you up.”

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 3h3 hours ago
"After his arrest, a law enforcement officer joked, 'It’s Mayo'” referencing Guzman’s at-large partner in the Sinaloa drug cartel, Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada."

https://nypost.com/2019/02/07/man-claiming-to-be-el-chapos-family-hauled-out-of-courtroom/ … via @Emily_Saul_

Man claiming to be El Chapo’s ‘family’ hauled out of courtroom

February 7, 2019

"A spectator claiming to be “family” of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman was hauled out of Brooklyn federal court in handcuffs Thursday after authorities learned he was wanted on multiple warrants, sources said.

Rene Javier Rivera Martinez caused a scene in the eighth-floor courtroom just after 9 a.m. when he tried to sit in the second row of the defense side of the gallery.

“I’m family of the Guzman-Loeras,” he insisted in Spanish to reporters covering the case.

Rivera claimed to be Italian, telling reporters he knew Chapo because “we have a lot of properties” in Mexico — before changing his tune to say he was just “close with” Chapo’s kin.

US marshals came to boot Rivera from the row — which is only available to family and requires advance notice in order to sit there. But he refused to get up and scrambled to show them his New York driver’s license.

The marshals escorted him into the hallway to speak with him, then gave him a seat in the overflow room.

About two hours later, Rivera was surrounded by seven or eight US marshals and taken out of the room. He was silent as the officers pushed him up against a wall and handcuffed him....

Rivera was charged with two counts of aggravated harassment and one violation count of harassment.

There is also an order of deportation against him, sources said...."

https://nypost.com/2019/02/07/man-claiming-to-be-el-chapos-family-hauled-out-of-courtroom/


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 3h3 hours ago
Emma Coronel arrived in the courtroom around lunch time. She also denied knowing the man who was arrested after claiming to be related to El Chapo.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 2h2 hours ago
Update: Rene Rivera Martinez, the man who was arrested by U.S. Marshals this morning at El Chapo's trial, has been turned over to ICE. Not sure of his nationality or immigration status, but this suggests he's facing deportation.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 3h3 hours ago
Chapo trial arrestee, Rene Martinez, has now been turned over to ICE. He had an immigration detainer.
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[YESorNO]

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 56m56 minutes ago
#BREAKING @vicenews: Day 4 of jury deliberations in El Chapo's trial ends with no verdict. The jury will not sit on Friday, deliberations set to resume on Monday.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 56m56 minutes ago
Day 4 of jury deliberations at the Chapo trial has ended. Still no verdict. The jury has decided not to sit on Friday so deliberations will resume on Monday. Chapo seemed pretty happy at the end of the day. He gave one of his lawyers, Jeff Lichtman, a giant backslapping hug.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 55m55 minutes ago
The jury sent another note to the court at around 3pm this afternoon. It read: "Can we please request Juan Carlos Abadia's (Chupeta's) testimony in regards to the Juanita shipments and ledgers? Specifically, direct, cross, and redirect."


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 55m55 minutes ago
Before leaving, the jury requested more testimony, asking for everything that Chapo's chief Colombian cocaine supplier, Juan Carlos "Lollipop" Ramirez, said about a series of 10 big coke shipments from 2003-2005 he nicknamed the Juanitas.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 53m53 minutes ago
The Juanita shipments were major operations, the largest including 12 tons of coke. Altogether the Juanitas moved a staggering 55 tons of coke by boat from Colombia to the Sinaloan coast of Mexico and then north across the US border. More than 22 tons of Juanita coke was seized.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 52m52 minutes ago
The Juanitas are reflected in the jury's verdict sheet as the first 10 violations of the first--and biggest--count: the continuing criminal enterprise charge. The fact that the jury wants all of Chupeta's testimony about the loads suggests they're considering those violations.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 50m50 minutes ago
This is yet another sign the jury is doing the hard work of matching evidence from the trial to the counts in the indictment. Since Monday they have asked for complete testimonies from 5 of the govt's 14 cooperating witnesses. The Chupeta request was smaller but still sizeable.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 50m50 minutes ago
The Juanita shipments and ledgers are a series of multi-ton cocaine shipments sent by boat from Chupeta in Colombia to Chapo in Mexico. They are the first 12 violations in count 1 of Chapo's indictment.

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 46m46 minutes ago
There was a lot of testimony about the Juanita shipments and the detailed ledgers that Chupeta kept tracking his expenses. Prosecutors and the defense can't agree about what exactly the jury should get to review — the government wants more direct, Chapo's lawyers want more cross.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 44m44 minutes ago
The lawyers are hashing it out now and will send a proposal to Judge Cogan tomorrow. Cogan will make a final decision and the excerpts of Chupeta's testimony about the Juanitas will be ready for the jury to review first thing Monday morning.


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 43m43 minutes ago
The defense is thrilled — the longer this drags on, the better chance they have of a hung jury. But this is also good for the government. Chupeta's testimony was damning. His ledgers are clear evidence that Chapo is guilty of the cocaine conspiracy charges.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 48m48 minutes ago
Altogether the jury has now asked questions or for testimony that in theory relate to most of the 27 violations in Count 1; Count 2; Counts 3-8 (all drug conspiracy charges); and Count 9 (gun charge.) They haven't asked for anything related to the money laundering count yet.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 47m47 minutes ago
In other words, they appear to have sought evidentiary confirmation for virtually all the counts and sub-counts in the indictment. That's a pretty scrupulous effort.
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[YESorNO]

Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 42m42 minutes ago
Chupeta was a remarkable witness not least b/c he looked like F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu after getting plastic surgery on his cheekbones, chin, eyes, nose, ears. He was an intensely proud supplier, always referring to the cocaine he mentioned as "My cocaine."

El Chapo’s Main Supplier: A Survivor and ‘Hands-On Boss’

Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 40m40 minutes ago
Chupeta testified that he first met Chapo in 1990 and was impressed by the young smuggler's confidence that he could move coke faster than anyone across the US border. Chapo and Chupeta worked together almost until Chupeta was arrested in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2007

Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 39m39 minutes ago
When Brazilian authorities captured Chupeta they found more than $1 million he'd stashed in a nearby garden & seized 2 paintings by the Colombian artist Fernando Botero from his house, each worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. They also found dozens of fake IDs w/his aliases.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 31m31 minutes ago
Chupeta--the Spanish slang nickname could be read as "Sucker" not just "Lollipop"--is also in other violations on the verdict sheet. He sometimes moved coke to Mexico in planes that landed at secret airstrips. One violation includes the famous jalapeno shipments he did for Chapo.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 29m29 minutes ago
By his own account, Chupeta worked with many other Sinaloa cartel bigwigs too: Mayo Zambada, Nacho Coronel, Amado Carrillo Fuentes. He said he was particularly close to Amado.


Alan Feuer‏ @alanfeuer 28m28 minutes ago
Chupeta was an especially creepy trial witness, not only because of his disfigured face (a chin like a fist, shovel blades for cheekbones, eyes stretched waaaay back) but also because he testified in a pair of gloves and zipped up winter parka. It was weird.
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[YESorNO]

Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 43m43 minutes ago
Chapo wasn't brought into the courtroom until the end of the day, when Cogan read the jury's note. He was in good spirits, wearing a dark blue suit. He gave @NYCDefenseLaw a back-slapping hug as he left. @balarezolaw turned to the press and said loudly,"Everybody see this?"


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 38m38 minutes ago
Chapo's jury hasn't been sitting on Fridays for most of the trial. Cogan gave them the option of continuing deliberations on their off day and they voted no. As he put it: "They do not want to sit tomorrow and they're coming back on Monday, and that's the way it is."


Keegan Hamilton‏Verified account @keegan_hamilton 20m20 minutes ago
Keegan Hamilton Retweeted The Lone Shark Podcast

The longer this drags on, the longer folks will speculate that the jurors are afraid of convicting El Chapo.

But I really think the jury is just methodically working through the verdict sheet, making sure prosecutors met the burden of proof on each count.

---The Lone Shark Podcast‏ @LoneSharkPod
A @LoneSharkPod Exclusive:
The note that the El Chapo jury just sent to the judge.
11:06 AM - 5 Feb 2019

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[YESorNO]

Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer 17m17 minutes ago
A slow, quiet day on the Chapo front. Four days into deliberations and two notes from the jury coming in at 3 p.m. 1. Requesting testimony from Chupeta about juanitas shipments and ledgers and 2. Requesting to go home at 4:15 p.m. – “the usual,” the judge noted with a laugh.



Emily Palmer‏Verified account @emilyepalmer 18m18 minutes ago
Oh: and no court Friday. The judge had hoped to convince them, but, as he said, “That’s the way it is.” The fifth day of deliberations will continue Monday. By then the prosecution and defense will have hashed out what part of the Chupeta cross and redirect they want them to see.



Molly Crane-Newman‏Verified account @molcranenewman 31m31 minutes ago
Statement from ICE:

 

[YESorNO]

El Chapo hugs lawyer as jurors wrap first week with no verdict

February 7, 2019

"An exuberant Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman pulled one of his lawyers into a big, back-slapping bear hug Thursday afternoon, as jurors in the Mexican kingpin’s trial wrapped their first week of deliberations without reaching a verdict.

The diminutive drug lord flashed a huge grin as he engulfed defense attorney Jeffrey Lichtman in the dramatic embrace in Brooklyn federal court, whacking his lawyer’s back so loudly that it caught the attention of the whole courtroom.

“Everybody see this?” fellow defense attorney Eduardo Balarezo said to the gallery while pointing to the cuddling couple.

The government prosecutors looked far less thrilled than Chapo and his team as the jurors went home for the weekend — and seem to be starting to sweat as the deliberations drag on far longer than many had expected...."

https://nypost.com/2019/02/07/el-chapo-hugs-lawyer-as-jurors-wrap-first-week-with-no-verdict/
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[YESorNO]

El Chapo’s lawyers ready to take shots from this bottle at end of the trial

February 7, 2019

"Lawyers for Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman have booze on the brain — tweeting out a photo of a pistol-shaped bottle of tequila as jurors continued deliberating the alleged drug kingpin’s fate.

“For after trial,” the account for the Balarezo Law firm wrote in the tweet on Wednesday just before 11 a.m. as jurors entered their third day of deliberations.

The pic was a closeup of Hijos de Villa reposado tequila, which is stashed in a 200ml bottle shaped like a gun and is paired with two shot glasses.

The liquor retails for $29.98...."

https://nypost.com/2019/02/07/el-ch...e-shots-from-this-bottle-at-end-of-the-trial/

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Prison for ‘El Chapo’ won’t end Sinaloa cartel violence, smuggling

02/07/19

"With the trial of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera now in the hands of the jury, it is important to reflect on what the trial does and does not portend for the years ahead.

It is significant that Guzman did not plead guilty and agree to cooperate with U.S. authorities in exchange for a reduced sentence. When other cartel figures did so — including his sworn enemies, the brothers Benjamín, Eduardo and Francisco Arellano Félix of the Arellano Felix Organization (also known as the Tijuana cartel) — the information they provided authorities resulted in significant damage to their group.

Though Guzman had a reputation for passing information to the authorities to damage his enemies, he refused to do so when it could harm his friends and family. He apparently has decided to pay whatever price is required to protect his sons, Ivan Archivaldo and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, often referred to as Los Chapitos, or the Little Chapos, and his longtime confederate, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia, who currently run the Sinaloa cartel.

Not cooperating means that Guzman is likely to receive a stiff sentence, perhaps life in prison. ...

...Despite Guzman’s arrest and extradition, the Sinaloa cartel’s transnational logistics network continues to thrive....

Guzman’s defense team attempted to use this continued success to convince the jury that he was merely a figurehead, a stooge of the true mastermind of the cartel — Zambada — and that he was not one of the top leaders of the cartel. Of course, such claims clearly were belied by much of the prosecution evidence, including recorded phone conversations and witness testimony. For the people of Sinaloa and the cartel, Guzman clearly was “El Señor,” or the boss.

However, it is important to remember that Guzman spent years behind bars or on the run while leading his organization. This would not have been possible unless he had a talented team of mid-level managers able to keep drug production and smuggling operations running smoothly. This resilience means that the cartel, one of Mexico’s most active narcotics producing and trafficking organization, will continue to ply its deadly trade. ...

In the end, removing one man — even an important leader — from the battlefield will have little impact on the powerful economics that drive the narcotics trade. As long as Americans are willing to pay premium prices for illegal drugs, someone will follow in Guzman’s footsteps and find a way to produce them, smuggle them and reap the unfathomable profits they generate. "

Prison for ‘El Chapo’ won’t end Sinaloa cartel violence, smuggling
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[lonetraveler]

I can't even imagine how terrified this jury must be at this time. I have a feeling this will be a mistrial. JMO

 

[Niner]

I too think the jury is going over everything! I don't think it's going to be a mistrial. I believe they will find him guilty at the end....

at the jury note you posted!!

 

[Niner]

So - update in red.

Thursday, Feb. 7th:
*Trial (Day 42)– VERDICT WATCH! (Day 4 of Jury Deliberations) (@ 9:30am 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 10-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.
Jurors: The jurors are not sequestered, which means they’re allowed to go home every day, but they are escorted to and from the courthouse under the guard of U.S. Marshals. The jurors are all from the Eastern District of New York, which includes Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and Long Island. They are a diverse group, including two fluent Spanish speakers, several African-Americans, and, judging solely by appearances, a roughly 50/50 mix of younger and older folks. We don’t know much about their lives, but it came out during jury selectionthat one is retired from the Department of Corrections and another has family members who work for the Department of Homeland Security. The foreperson is Juror 11, a black woman who looks to be in her late 40s or early 50s.
2/4/19 Day 1 Jury Deliberations: The defense will ask Judge Cogan to poll the jury before deliberations begin about whether anyone saw news coverage about Chapo allegedly drugging and raping young girls. Could potentially lead to jurors being dismissed. There are six alternates available. Cogan just said two jurors acknowledged seeing press coverage over the weekend. One said it was about deliberations starting today, the other "took a quick glance at something." He's now questioning each juror in private with one attorney each from the defense & prosecution. The jury is now seated in the courtroom. Nobody dismissed. Cogan now reading the charging instructions. Jury start deliberations @ 1:05pm ET. The Jurors had 3 questions. The first note came in at 1:58 pm ET. Jury had questions answered by the judge & returned to deliberations at 2:45 pm. Day 1 of Chapo jury deliberations have just ended without a verdict. The jurors will be back tomorrow morning 2/5 at 9:30 for Day 2. Chapo still faces indictments in six other federal jurisdictions. If by some miracle he is acquitted in Brooklyn, his next trial would probably be in either El Paso or San Diego. Jurors consist of seven women and five men.
2/5/19 Day 2 Jury Deliberations: 4 questions from the jury just after 1:45 p.m.: two regarding meth: 1) requesting a phone recording about 'ice' and 2) Ray Zambada's testimony about a man named Chespiro, who wanted legal help to bring ephedrine from "one of those Asian countries." 3) Full testimony from Alex Cifuentes. 4) Full testimony from Jorge Cifuentes. The request for the Cifuentes' testimony: The judge said he was inclined to simply give jurors the printed pages rather than spending 3 to 5 days--yes, 3 to 5 DAYS--reading back that testimony. Because that would be nuts. The jury was brought into the courtroom & they played the recording of this call they requested earlier. The transcript was shown on a screen in the courtroom. Then the jury got a read back of Rey Zambada's testimony about "Chespiro." Correction from earlier: Rey said he met him in 2004/05 in Mexico City. Said he was in charge of meth production for Chapo, wanted help importing 15-20 tons of ephedrine from Asia via a front company. Redacting the testimony of Alex & Jorge Cifuentes. The jury also sent another note, which Cogan said "makes the issue worse." They requested the entire testimony of an obscure witness named Juan Aguayo. He was a border agent who arrested three guys who were trying to smuggle weed into California by boat. Jurry deliberations been going for 10 hours so far. Jury deliberations continue to 2/6.
2/6/19 Day 3: The jury will hear readbacks of testimony from Juan Aguayo, a border agent who helped seized 400 kgs of pot in panga boats off the Calif. coast in 2012. It was also get giant binders w/the full testimony of Alex & Jorge Ciifuentes. In terms of punishment, Chapo faces life in prison on the charges in his indictment. That life sentence will become mandatory if the jury checks off three boxes underneath the top charge of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise. 1. Did any of the coke deals he made involve more than 150 kgs? (All of them did.). 2. Did the enterprise earn $10 million or more in one 12-month period? (There was repeated testimony that the cartel earned $100s of millions all the time). 3. Was Chapo a leader of the enterprise? At 2:30 p.m. the jury requested full testimonial transcripts for three more witnesses in Chapo's case: Ray and Vicente Zambada and Dámaso López Núñez. That totals full testimonies for 5 of 14 star witnesses. (And six witnesses overall.) The jury's question: "If members of a drug cartel are killed by an opposing cartel for personal reasons, does that constitute a drug trafficking crime?" The answer from the judge was no, if a killing was for "wholly personal reasons" it's not a drug trafficking crime. The jury also asked--for the 3rd day in a row--to be released at 4:15 pm. They indicated as well that they're not inclined to deliberate on Friday, meaning this could stretch into next week. Deliberations will have lasted for 17+ hours. And deliberations continue on 2/7.
2/7/19 Day 4: Jury deliberations in El Chapo's trial ends with no verdict. The jury sent another note to the court at around 3pm this afternoon. It read: "Can we please request Juan Carlos Abadia's (Chupeta's) testimony in regards to the Juanita shipments and ledgers? Specifically, direct, cross, and redirect." Before leaving, the jury requested more testimony, asking for everything that Chapo's chief Colombian cocaine supplier, Juan Carlos "Lollipop" Ramirez, said about a series of 10 big coke shipments from 2003-2005 he nicknamed the Juanitas. The lawyers are hashing it out now and will send a proposal to Judge Cogan tomorrow (2/8). Cogan will make a final decision and the excerpts of Chupeta's testimony about the Juanitas will be ready for the jury to review first thing Monday morning. The jury will not sit on Friday 2/8, deliberations set to resume on Monday 2/11.