Republished and Translated by Yaqui ..for Borderland Beat from Zeta Oct 19, 2016
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Jose Refugio Rodriguez Nunez, Lawyer for drug trafficker Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera, alias “ El Chapo”, denied that his client is involved in the murder of the Federal Judge Antonio Vincente Bermudez Zacharias, executed around 7:30 PM Monday, Oct 17, 2016 by a shot to the neck while he was jogging near his home in Metepec, State of Mexico.
In an interview with journalist Carlos Loret de Monet, on the morning show on Televisa Network, the defender of the former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel said that versions of the story that want to tie his client to the murder of the judge as “ pure sensationalism”.
The attorney said that he has had no contact with the federal judge, Bermudez Zacharias since the past March when the Judge arrived at the Fifth District Court of Appeals and Civil Judgements in the State of Mexico, and although he did not have the pleasure of knowing him in that capacity, he thought that he was an honest man.
“It is sensationalism and talk without basis, to try to establish who gave the suspension of the appeal”, he said when asked about the pending extradition to the US of “El Chapo “ Guzman, which was resolved in the Fifth Court, but it was before Judge Bermudez Zacharias had assumed his position there.
Additionally, Rodriguez Nunez qualified the murder of the federal judge as reprehensible and they were actions that “infuriate society”. He reiterated that he and his litigant had no contact with the judge and that they knew him as an honest person.
To Excelsior, Rodriguez Nunez explained that his client “is not affected by this judge nor has he benefited from the resolution of this phase of his case”, and recalls that the injunction is only to gain time : The resolution that was granted came from Mexico City.
In a later interview with journalist Ciro Gomez Leyva of Radio Formula, another lawyer of “El Chapo”, Carlos Castillo, said that the judge only analyzed the request for extradition of his client to the US but was not the one who approved it. Castillo added that “His Honor Senor Vincent tried thousands of appeal cases as a judge in the District Court of Appeals, nothing criminal, nothing but cases of transfers. Mr Bermudez Zacharias was not head of the court at that point in time and only examined the merits of the application of the appeals process.” Castillo called Bermudez Zacharia “as a person of the Judiciary, he was capable, honest, studious, very humble, a very simple and honest man”.
In addition to the case of “El Chapo” Guzman, the judge presided over the 40 day arraignment of Abigael Gonzalez Valencia, alias “El Cuini”, one of the leaders of the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generation (CJNG) while necessary investigations were made before his final internment in Prison El Altiplano Amoloya in Juarez.
Additionally he led the trial of Miguel Trevino. An appeal by lawyers of “Z40” to dismiss any attempt to move him to a different maximum security prison was being analyzed by Judge Bermudez Zacharias since last week. any attempt to move him to a different maximum security prison was being analyzed by Judge Bermudez Zacharias since last week.
Bermudez Zacharias, 37 years old, studied for his law degree at The University of Guanajuato and later completed his Masters Degree in Criminal Law from the University Iberoamericana Leon.. He was a District Judge since December 2013 and specialized in Criminal Penal System and Appelate Law. He previously served as the Sixth Judge specializing in processing searches and wiretapping communications tied to cases of drug trafficking. (Cateos, Arraigos, y Intervencion de Comunicaciones) in Mexico City.
He originally served in the Sixth Civil Court of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice of The State of Guanajuato.
Another appeals judgement under analysis was that of Gilardo Lopez Astudillo, a lieutenant of the Guerreros Unidos, suspected of being responsible for the kidnapping and disappearance of the 43 Student Teachers ( Normalistas) of the Rural Normal School Raul Isidro Burgos Ayotzinapa in Iguala, Guerrero.
“El Guano” Has Not Sought Me Out says Lawyer of “El Chapo"
Regarding versions of the story involving Aureliano Guzman Salazar, alias "El Guano”, brother of “El Chapo” being responsible for the military ambush last Sept 30 in Culiacan, Sinaloa, the lawyer said that he no information regarding that incident and therefore could not comment.
When asked whether the family of Aureliano Guzman has sought to distance himself from the case of the ambush as the sons of “El Chapo” have, Rodriguez Nunez again said that he has had no contact with them and views that as a theme of persecution against “El Chapo”.President Enrique Pena Nieto has given instructions to the Attorney General of the Republic (PGR) to take charge of the investigation and case of the judge’s murder.