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Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Last Brother from Mexico's Arellano Felix Cartel Pleads Not Guilty

By Marty Graham
Reuters

Accused Mexican drug kingpin Eduardo Arellano Felix, whose Tijuana-based cartel was dramatized in the Oscar-winning film "Traffic," pleaded not guilty to federal drug charges on Tuesday in his first court appearance since extradition to the United States.

Arellano Felix, 55, the fourth brother from the reputed crime family to be taken into U.S. custody, arrived in California on Friday to face charges of racketeering, money laundering and conspiracy to distribute and import marijuana and cocaine.

During a brief hearing in U.S. District Court in San Diego, a public defender assigned to the case entered not guilty pleas on his behalf to all charges. He faces up to 140 years in prison if convicted.

Arellano Felix, shackled and dressed in an orange jumpsuit, sat expressionless and silent with his hands folded during the proceedings, surrounded by five federal marshals. He nodded in the affirmative when asked by the judge if he understood the charges against him.



A bail hearing was set for Friday.
Arellano Felix, arrested in Mexico in 2008 following a gun battle with Mexican special forces, is accused of helping run one of Mexico's biggest trafficking cartels with several of his brothers.

He is described in an indictment as a "senior adviser" to his brother, Benjamin, the former head of the organization, who pleaded guilty in federal court to drug trafficking, money laundering and racketeering in January.

At the height of its power in the 1990s, the Arellano Felix organization was known to smuggle hundreds of millions of dollars in narcotics through a 100-mile-wide corridor stretching from Tijuana, south of San Diego, to Mexicali, south of Calexico, California. The cartel also was alleged to be behind hundreds of murders in Tijuana and across Mexico.

The brothers gained an added measure of international notoriety when the Tijuana cartel and its battle with the rival Juarez cartel were depicted in the 2000 film "Traffic," which earned four Oscars, including the Academy Award for best director for Steven Soderbergh.

But the family was hit hard by U.S. and Mexican authorities in the 2000s. Ramon Arellano Felix, the cartel's flamboyant enforcer, was killed in a shootout with police in 2002. Brothers Benjamin and Francisco Javier were captured in 2002 and 2006, respectively, and are now serving time in U.S. prisons.

An older brother, Francisco Rafael, was arrested, indicted and turned over to the United States in the early 1980s. He served six years for selling cocaine and was deported back to Mexico.

With the downfall of the Arellano Felix brothers, the rival Sinaloa cartel run by Mexico's most-wanted man, Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman, has largely taken over the Tijuana cartel's valuable turf.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon has extradited record numbers of reputed drug kingpins to the United States while Mexican police and soldiers have rounded up thousands of hit men and smugglers.

However, the offensive has led to more violence, with more than 55,000 drug-related murders during Calderon's six-year term. President-elect Enrique Pena Nieto will take power in December and has promised to rapidly reduce the murder rate.

19 comments:

  1. He wont plead guilty till he gets one of those cake walk deals. His brother got less then a crack head gets. Murders, trafficking, extorting, etc . The US spends tons of money investigating and when they finally get them they say it will cost to much to go to trial. Whats the point.

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  2. We can't keep them out yet we reel them in over and over, at great expense and yet no progress. Guys like this are nothing more than trophies to the USA, very expensive human trophies.

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  3. ??? Bail hearing? I didn't know that a foreigner who was extradited has a right to bail? Learn something new every day! I would highly doubt that they would offer the same thing to a US citizen in a Mexican jail, but what in Mexico is fair?

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  4. Benjamen got 25 years? He will never be free again, People are so bizaree when it comes to sentencing, if they get less then 100 years, or the death penalty, everyone turns into 'Lord of The Flies. Osiel Cardenas did a get a reduced sentence, but as far as TIjuana, Javier got life in the supermax, Benjman 25 years, and El Doctor will probably get 15.

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  5. What I want to know is exactly how is Nieto going to "rapidly reduce the murder rate" ?

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    Replies
    1. Probably make the Z Organiztion a political militant?

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  6. Once Again, I do not know where the B.S. Info you have on this "Senior Advisor" to Benjamin
    comes from. In 92 to 97 I worked real close with the AFO and "Edourdo Loco" was far and I mean far from an Advisor to anyone but himself in the mirror. He was and is Bipolar (this is fact) Ramone and Bejamin would literly pay him
    monies too stay the fuck out of the business because they were scared he would Fuck things up. When he was manic he would drool until his zoloft kicked in so as far as printing this B.S.
    your trying to makeout that this Nut Job was the Brains behind the operation. Enedina has been the Brains of this outfit since Ramone was killed and Benjamin was busted. Even, Javier had her show him how the monies were launderded and who got payed off in the Federal Police and Government. This is common knowledge to anyone who has had any close relationship with the AFO
    which presently is on the balls of it's ass. If
    Sinaloa didn't step in when they did; T.J. as far as being a Plaza was finished. The kid and his mother are just figuire heads nowadays!

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  7. COMO TODO ARELLANO. LE BRINDO SU LUGAR A RAMON EN LA CORTE . "SE LE PREGUNTO SI EDUARDO RAMON ARELLANO FELIX ERA SU NOMBRE" .. "EL LE RESPONDIO A LA JUEZ QUE RAMON ERA SU HERMANO Y EL ERA EDUARDO" RIP COLORES "RAMON ". EL SOBRINO TE TIENE EN MENTE. 10-5 DESDE SAN DIEGO A LA BAJA...
    Sincerely,
    Giovanni M.

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  8. http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2011/05/enedina_arellano_felix_first_female_drug_lord_mexico.php No Shit click on this URL..! She's El Jefa

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  9. The family isnt over, inge and his mom aint running the show. feranando arellano the first brother to go down from a undercover d.e.a agent in the late 80's. He's been out since maybe 5 years ago. fernando and manuel galindo are the shot callers, there all business, inge runs the streets for them. CAF will rise again, the strongest cartel cant finish them (CDS).

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  10. Is Endeinia under indictment in the US? I don't believe she is.

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  11. Off to prison, dirtbag...

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  12. September 6, 2012 1:17 PM
    "This is common knowledge to anyone who has had any close relationship with the AFO"
    This guy is believable.Just cause he is a brother dont mean shit.You cant pick your family.Some brothers are the worst assholes ever,but still your brother?Keep them sorted out,but use capable people who you can pick.This guy makes sense"Edourdo Loco"he looks like a ballbag.Now he getting the big air time,cause he a big"player drug dealer"Gimmicks,yes we do

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  13. 9/6 7:30PM,
    jaja..what the fuck are u smoking? The AFO are done, bro..there may be "trash" left behind making some scratch but they are no way "heavy hitters" in the business. Rise again? They don't have nearly enough influence or foot soldiers to compete. Matter of fact CDS don't even view what's left of the AFO/CAF has a "real" threat but more like a petty nuisance!

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  14. Despite news reports, Eduardo not the last remaining Arellano Félix brother

    http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/news-ticker/2012/sep/01/despite-news-reports-eduardo-not-the-last-remainin/

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  15. Fernando? I assume you mean Francisco Rafael, IDK if he is running anything as he didn`t in the 90s but Manuel is a different story, he and Enedina DO run shit in Tijuana.

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  16. Bottom Line: The San Diego US Attorney's Office will take the easy way out again and offer a sweet deal to spare themselves of trial. Duffy and her weak-ass fembots have burned their bridges with their witnesses and law enforcement support system. You can't go to trial when you don't have anything to back it. Thanks Duffy for shitting all over those who have supported you!

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  17. @ 7:30 and like the Phoenix,the AFO will too rise from the ashes....hopefully wipe CDS off the planet.

    ReplyDelete

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