Lucio R. with C.E. Martinez for Borderland Beat
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Drug trafficker turned government witness, Margarito Flores and Colombian drug trafficker Juan Carlos “Chupeta” Ramirez Abadia will testify against Alfredo “El Mochomo” Beltran Leyva, in the U.S. case against the former leader of the Beltran Leyva Organization (BLO).
Other than Jesus “El Rey” Zambada, no other Zambada will give testimony in the case.
The Flores Twins
The Chicago based Margarito and his twin brother Pedro, were once mega drug distributors for both the Sinaloa Cartel, and BLO, before they turned witnesses for the state.
With the information and evidence the Flores twins furnished the U.S. government, more than 50 suspects were charged. The majority of those given up by the twins, were from the Sinaloa cartel, including Sinaloa’spremier leader, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera, and (Jesus) Vicente Zambada Niebla (VZN), the high ranking leader in the Sinaloa cartel, and son of its other premier leader, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García.
The twins recorded 54 conversations, for the government, between themselves and 14 key persons in the drug trafficking business, including one between El Chapo and Pedro Flores in 2008. In that telephone conversation, Pedro negotiates the prices of a shipment.
It was the information and work by the twins that led to the Chicago indictment against El Chapo.
The twins had multiple key meetings with VZN and recorded two conversations in 2008. In one meeting, VZN asked Margarito to use his connection back in the states to access weapons.
According to federal documents, as Margarito stood on an airstrip waiting to leave the mountain top meeting, VZN mentioned the weapons again, "we do not need that small _______, I want to blow up buildings, and we need bazookas, grenade launchers ...."
Margarito follows up this conversation with a recorded phone call, where VZN finalizes the order.
There are three exhibits included in the “motion to depart from sentencing guidelines”, filed on behalf of the twins for favorable sentencing.. In the document, the US generously praises the men for their work, and includes three exhibits.
Exhibit "A" The summary of recordings made by the Flores brothers
Exhibit "B" Drug seizures due to the cooperation of the Flores brothers
Exhibit "C" A list of defendants charged, in substantial part, because of the twins cooperation. (over four dozen names)
Additionally, there is the BLO indictment, derived from the information and cooperation of the brothers.
Nowhere in this influx of information, testimony of events, and the naming of specific individuals, does the name Alfredo Beltran Leyva appear.
Juan Carlos "Chupeta" Ramirez Abadia
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He was considered one of the world’s major drug traffickers, Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia, alias "Chupeta" was identified as the head of the Norte del Valle Cartel and was the most wanted drug trafficker by the DEA. He was arrested in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2007.
Ramirez was wanted in the U.S. on drug trafficking, murder and RICO charges. In Addition to the trafficking of cocaine, he participated in money laundering and trafficking of heroin. Through Ramirez illegal enterprise, he amassed a fortune estimated at $ 1.8 billion by the US Department of State.
He was cited as "... one of the most powerful and elusive drug traffickers in Colombia" by Adam J. Szubin, Director of the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control.
At the time of His capture, the chief of the Brazil Federal police Declared, "This is the most wanted drug trafficker in the world, wanted by the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), which offered five million dollars for information on his whereabouts."
Police Seized some 97 million U.S. dollars Ramirez had stashed in five houses, in different neighborhoods.
According to the Brazilian Federal Police, Ramirez, was arrested in "Operation Farrapos" aimed at dismantling an international drug ring, using Brazil as a drug transport bridge.
Colombian newspaper "El Espectador" reported, that Ramirez took over as head of the business after gaining the trust of the drug lord of the Norte del Valle cartel.
After committing several murders in Colombia, he tortured and murdered Tocayo Ocampo, after learning Ocampo was working with US agencies.
That murder sparked a war with capo Wilber Varela, which resulted in Ramirez fleeing to Brazil, where he was eventually captured.
At the time of his capture, he had already undergone several facial surgeries to conceal his identity, with bizarre results.
This former "World's Most Wanted Drug Trafficker" will testify Against Alfredo Beltran Leyva as a cooperating witness for the United States.
These two witnesses, and those named in our previous post, El Rey, La Barbie, El Grande, El Conejo completes the list of narco bigs who will testify in Betran Alfredo Leyva's trial.
Below is the summary of recorded conversations of the Flores brothers bottom far right click on icon to enlarge, scroll down for all eight pages
Corrections from previous post:
Alfredo was wearing "tinted" prescription glasses in court, not dark sun glasses.
He will be able to wear street clothes during the trial, just not in pretrial hearings