Edgar Valdez Villarreal

Edgar Valdez Villarreal (born August 11, 1973), also known as La Barbie ("The Barbie"), is a Mexican-American former drug lord and high-ranking lieutenant of the Beltrán Leyva Cartel. Valdez is serving a 49-year prison sentence at USP Coleman II in Florida.

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

Valdez worked for several years as a Mexican cartel lieutenant alongside nephew Fernando Valdez, before rising to a leadership position in an enforcement squad called Los Negros.[3][4] Following the death of cartel boss Arturo Beltrán Leyva in late 2009, Valdez fought a protracted gang war for control of the cartel resulting in over 150 deaths. He employed techniques such as videotaped torture and decapitation.[5][6]

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

Biography

Valdez was born and raised in Laredo, Texas.[6][10][11] He was a popular high school football player. His nickname La Barbie came from his American football coach at United High School; because of his blond hair and blue eyes, he was compared to a Ken doll.[12][13]

Valdez's first arrest came at the age of 19 in Texas, where he was charged with criminally negligent homicide for running over a middle-school counselor with his truck while speeding down a Laredo street. He was not indicted.[14] He became a marijuana dealer on the streets of Laredo while he was in high school.[6][15] He turned down his father's offer of financing a college education in order to focus on his business, but was soon indicted on charges of distributing marijuana.[6] To avoid capture he fled to Mexico, where he allegedly joined the Beltrán-Leyva Cartel and quickly moved up through the ranks due to his connections in the US.[6]

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

Los Negros
Main article: Los Negros

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

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

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

US government reports allege that Los Negros has been known to employ local gangs such as MS-13 and the Mexican Mafia to carry out murders and other illegal activities.[20]

Connection with the Cabañas Case

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

Connection with the Israeli crime organization

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

Charges and allegations

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

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

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

Arrest

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

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

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

Extradition

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

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

Pending film

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

See also

References
  1. "Narcotics Rewards Program: Edgar Valdez-Villarreal". United States Department of State. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  2. Miller Llana, Sara (31 August 2011). "In Mexico, skepticism that arrest of Edgar Valdez Villarreal – 'La Barbie' – will stem drug trade". The Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  3. Freeman, Laurie (June 2009). State of Siege: Drug-Related Violence and Corruption in Mexico (PDF). Washington Office on Latin America. pp. 7–15. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 November 2006. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  4. "La Barbie", brazo derecho de los Beltrán Leyva". La Crónica de Hoy (in Spanish). 30 August 2010. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  5. Miller Llana, Sara (31 August 2010). "Edgar Valdez Villarreal – suspected drug lord 'La Barbie' – arrested in Mexico". The Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  6. McKinley Jr., James C. (8 September 2010). "U.S. Student Became Mexican Drug Kingpin". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 11 October 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  7. "Mexico arrests 'drug lord' Edgar Valdez". BBC News. 31 August 2010. Archived from the original on 24 November 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  8. Vega, Aurora (7 August 2011). "Surgen cuatro grupos del narco en 2011; El Chapo es el capo más poderoso". Excélsior (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
  9. New York Post:December 7th, 2022:Beltran Let's cartel hitman La Barbie missing from prison rolls
  10. Thompson, Ginger (4 December 2005). "Mexico in grip of all-out drug war". San Francisco Chronicle. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  11. Samuels, Lennox (21 March 2006). "Man called 'La Barbie' has another name: outlaw". The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on 11 February 2009. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  12. "La Barbie" captured in Mexico". KGNS-TV. 30 August 2010. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  13. "Mexico nabs alleged drug lord 'La Barbie'". NBC News. 31 August 2010. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  14. "Mexico Says Drug Lord 'La Barbie' Captured". Fox News. The Associated Press. 30 August 2010. Archived from the original on 20 March 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  15. Quinones, John (19 May 2010). "Man or Myth? American Drug Lord 'La Barbie' Fascinates and Terrorizes". ABC News. Archived from the original on 1 August 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  16. "A convicted drug lord nicknamed 'La Barbie' linked a former Mexican president to drug cartels". Business Insider.
  17. McCaul, Michael T. (2006). A Line in the Sand: Confronting the Threat at the Southwest Border (PDF). United States House Committee on Homeland Security. p. 38. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 October 2012.
  18. De la Luz González, María (22 April 2010). "El Indio peleaba cártel a Héctor Beltrán". El Universal (Mexico City) (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  19. "Cae 'El Cantante', operador de 'El Indio'". El Universal (Mexico City) (in Spanish). 26 April 2010. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  20. "Weak bilateral law enforcement presence at the U.S.-Mexico border: territorial integrity and safety issues for American citizens" (PDF). United States House Committee on the Judiciary. 17 November 2005. p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 May 2010. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  21. "Intentaron estafar al CJNG y lo pagaron con la vida: Las revelaciones del caso de los israelíes asesinados en Artz".
  22. "Mexican cartel could be behind the murder of two Israeli criminals". 30 July 2019.
  23. "The killing of two Israelis gangsters in Mexico City was a settling of scores, reportedly by CJNG".
  24. "Mexico's 24 most wanted traffickers". Los Angeles Times. 23 March 2009. Archived from the original on 5 March 2011. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  25. McKinley Jr., James C. (3 December 2005). "Mexico Agents Kidnapped 4, Prosecutor Says". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  26. "Feds post $2 million reward for alleged caretl kingpin 'La Barbie'". CNN. CNN Wire Staff. 11 January 2010. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  27. "Police: Accused drug lord moved tons of cocaine to U.S." CNN. 31 August 2010. Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  28. "'La Barbie', la película". El Mundo (in Spanish). 1 September 2010. Archived from the original on 6 September 2010. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  29. Ellingwood, Ken (24 November 2010). "Mexico drug gang leader arrested". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 14 November 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  30. "Mexico Prepares to Extradite Drug KingPin 'La Barbie' to US". Latin American Herald Tribune. 21 November 2010. Archived from the original on 14 November 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  31. Corcoran, Katherine (1 October 2015). "Mexico extradites top drug lords 'La Barbie,' 'El Coss' to US from maximum security jail". U.S. News. The Associated Press.
  32. Drug lord ‘La Barbie’ sentenced to 49 years in federal prison. Fox News. 11 June 2018.
  33. ""La Barbie" Edgar Valdez-Villarreal Listed as No Longer in Prison Custody". Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  34. "Whereabouts of notorious drug lord nicknamed "La Barbie" unknown as Mexico presses U.S. for answers". CBS News. Associated Press. 1 December 2022.
  35. López Obrador acusa que "no hay precisión" de EU sobre 'La Barbie', retrieved 2023-07-10
  36. Fleming, Mike Jr. (14 January 2015). "Charlie Hunnam Teams With 'American Sniper' Scribe Jason Hall On Legendary's 'American Drug Lord'".
  37. Jason Buch of the San Antonio Express-News, "'La Barbie' movie: Native Laredoan immortalized", Laredo Morning Times, January 17, 2015, p. 1
  38. "| Periódico am |". www.am.com.mx. Archived from the original on 6 October 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  39. "Amie Hammer Secures La Barbie Life Rights for Movie". 17 January 2016.
  40. "Actor Secures Life Rights from Drug Lord Who Was Subject of Lengthy Rolling Stone Profile". Archived from the original on 2016-01-19. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  41. "Armie Hammer Buys Life Rights for Drug Lord 'La Barbie'".
  42. "Actor Armie Hammer Secures Life Rights From Mexico Drug Cartel Boss "La Barbie"". BuzzFeed.
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