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Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Dámaso “El Licenciado” López Núñez has emerged as a Sinaloa cartel leader

Lucio republished from EL PAÍS posted by siskiyoukid-Translation: Dyane Jean François

EL PAÍS weighs in with their theory of who is leading the Sinaloa Cartel


A picture of Mexican baseball legend Benjamín Gil hangs on the wall of a barbershop where you can get a haircut for just two Dollars.  The owner spends no more than five minutes on each customer, applying his clippers mercilessly to each head.  Wearing cowboy boots and hats, they walk in with mops of hair and leave with military style haircuts.

As he clips away, he explains how things work around here. “He,” he says as he touches up some sideburns, “already knows that you are here, sitting on this sofa.” In this town called Eldorado, Dámaso “El Licenciado” López Núñez or “El Lic,” one of the heirs to imprisoned drug baron Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, is invisible but occasionally pops into view. 

The barber points to the street, specifically to a man peering out of the window of a white van, looking around as he takes notes. Once he notices he is being observed, he starts the vehicle and disappears.

The mountain is the home of the Sinaloa cartel. Farmers have been selling their marijuana and poppy crops to the executives of this “Amazon of drugs” for decades. The organization can make any delivery, anywhere, in record time. In this rocky and hostile environment, El Chapo, who was arrested almost a year ago, amassed a fortune. El Licenciado – someone who wouldn’t be out of place on a company’s board of directors – has focused his efforts on the city on the plain: Eldorado. The town is the most populated area of the suburbs around Culiacán and is visible on the horizon because of the smoke coming out of the sugarcane mill.

El Lic was born here 48 years ago. Most of the streets are unpaved. The wind and horse-drawn carriages working as taxis raise the dust that clings to everything. El Lic’s father, Don Dámaso, was a tax collector and president of the regional livestock assembly. In 2007, he was elected trustee of Culiacán City Hall and built a bridge to connect the isolated community of Portaceli, his hometown, with the main highway. 


Don Dámaso died in office. He is buried in a mausoleum near the bridge – an enormous white building topped with a cross. There are security cameras on the outside of the memorial and a kitchen, air conditioning, and leather-covered seats inside. “He tried to give his kids a good education,” a family acquaintance says.

El Lic studied with the Carmelite Sisters before entering Universidad de Occidente to study law. In 1991, he got his first job as a police officer at the Sinaloa Attorney General’s Office. According to El Universal newspaper, he even directed a program to track down fugitives from the law. He was promoted through the murky world of corrupt police precincts and eventually served in the federal prison system. He held several low-level positions while earning $600 before he was appointed to a management position at the maximum security prison in Puente Grande where El Chapo was serving time after his 1993 arrest in Guatemala. Alcohol and prostitutes soon flooded the cells and with El Lic’s help, El Chapo fled in 2001. El Lic resigned from his post, citing dissatisfaction with vacation time and salary and became a full-time drug dealer.


The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) puts him at the top of the leadership chain within the Sinaloa cartel. In March 2012, a Virginia court accused Dámaso López of money laundering and distributing cocaine. In Eldorado he is more than just a drug dealer. He is an authority figure, imperceptible to the naked eye but present in the minds and actions of his neighbors. His men, dressed in Armani caps and Hermés vests, watch everyone who comes in and out of the area. They take down license plate numbers and share information by phone. These men used to go out into the streets on specially designated days and get trigger happy – but that tradition is now banned. Cars are no longer allowed to burn their tires and criminals are expelled from the community and sent to live in nearby towns.

The gentleman brought a band that is very well-known in Mexico here,” an ex-municipal official recounts. “And he told all the local residents that they could go along for free. One man, a jealous bastard, tried to drag his wife out of the party by her hair. He got a pretty good beating out of it. No one ruins a party for El Lic.”

The structure of the Sinaloa cartel is a well-kept secret known only by a few members. “My impression is that the cartel has not named a successor yet,” says Javier Valdez, director of the local weekly Ríodoce. “There are several regional chiefs, such as El Chapo’s sons, El Mayo [Ismael Zambada] and El Lic. If one of them had tried to take control of everything, there would have been an internal war and there isn’t. It’s true that El Lic is a very powerful guy. He has a strong presence in the region of Eldorado with spies, vehicles that patrol the streets all day. He moves around easily here and that means he is protected.”

The only published picture of El Lic is a blurry image of a man with small eyes, a smooth forehead and a goatee taken 10 years ago. He has a son, Mini-lic, a kind of junior drug dealer who brags about his luxurious lifestyle on social media: leopards, guns, youths who have tattooed his name on their chests. Rumor had it that he might be the successor to El Chapo, his godfather.

“He’s a youngster who only worries about the glamorous side,” an organized crime expert says. “He is not involved in the business. He is far from being a leader.” The narcocorridos ballads about the life of drug bosses aggrandize him but, in Sinaloa, almost no one is what they seem. After El Chapo fell, the vain capos who once wanted to be immortalized in song now ask composers to write about their rivals so the police can jump on them.

On the way to Culiacán and Eldorado, a number of memorials for victims of car accidents sit at the crossroads. One of these cement structures pays tribute to one of Lic’s sons. The young man, who crashed into a ranch, was wearing a crucifix, a gift from a relative when he died. Someone tore it off him. It had to have been a thief who thinks gold has no value on the other side. But, the next day, people woke up to find a large poster hanging from one end of a street to the other. The deceased’s father was making a public call for the crucifix to be returned. First, he used words. Then, he used lead. Since then, the townspeople say no one, not even vultures, would dare sniff the pockets of a corpse.

71 comments:

  1. So how did this story confirm Damaso is now in charge of the Sinaloa cartel?

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    1. Dont you dare question BB! Worm!

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    2. This story does not say El Lic is THE leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, it says he is one of "several regional chiefs".

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    3. Yeah and there's obviously a internal conflict in the CDS with all these capos dropping like flies. So is there a riff between Mayo and Lic or not?

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    4. At 548. Look at headline of article. Damaso emerges as sinaloa cartel leader. El Pais newspaper must be owned by lic the way they describe him.

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    5. I think that the Mayo vs Damaso conflict is only in La Paz and that the fighting is not between the bosses but just the regional bosses in La Paz for whatever reason.

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    6. to siski you whatever

      I am going to take a guess here, but it seems self serving to be critical of your own damn article, be a gentleman and privately offer an edit.

      just saying

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    7. I appreciate any input, but I didn't write this article, it was written by Juan Diego Quesada for the Spanish newspaper El Pais.

      However, I agree with the opinion that Damaso Sr. is a regional warlord who holds sway over El Dorado, while profiting from the movement of product as well as local production.

      It has been suggested that his power and influence has been enhanced by the capture of El Chapo Guzman, and this may be true. However, apparently El Lic has been a major player for a fair amount of time.

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    8. The damaso and mayo conflict is over they settled it its now against rana and aquiles the order is to take them out CDS no persona

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  2. Wouldn't surprise me if this article was paid by c.d.s. the way they describe these cartel scum as" gentleman" and the fact that they describe these drug dealers as protectors of the region looking out for the people when it's the complete Opposite. If locals do describe these people in a positive way it's for fear of reprecations to them and their family. Tatal bullshit! Real

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    1. Am local amd beleive it or not he does help.... He restores order. Like it says.. They have rules wich are ok for civilians like me..

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    2. El licenciado is considered a gentleman because he isn just some ranchero ignorante...he is a highly inteligent and educated man......emphasis on educated.....he knows that with violence especially from his people to the regular citizens, is bad for business....so he is in a sense a phantom politician....and making a good image for a bad situation

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    3. 9:49 Yea, and next your going to say You know him personally! Lol mentiroso!

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    4. "a civilian like me"

      Yeah right. Pinche payason. lol

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    5. If you are not from that area you shouldn't talk about it 3:28. I'm not even from there but I'm Mexican and I know that human beings are complex are there are people in that business who still have values, otherwise Mexico would be just imposible to live in.

      To tell the truth that business will always exist as long as it's the country's biggest money cow and of course while people keep doing drugs. So you shouldn't act like an envidioso just because this dude is someone important.

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    6. Everyone on her talking about like u guys know the business.... I for one don't, but my family is from Cosala, Sinaloa. There are simply rules to live by "see no evil, hear no evil, and talk no evil" you can say it may be out of fear or whatever but people live peacefully by that. No one messes with you all those shootings and massacre you hear is among men involved in that kinda business they don't go out terrorizing the community how the GUACHOS(Mexican army), COPS, ZETAS, GULF CARTEL, and JUAREZ CARTEL do it. That's why u would hear about all those women disappearing in Juarez, and when the ZETAS rounded up a dozen of immigrants from down south asked for ransom and then ended up killing them to spread fear that they're in charge.... SMH that's not how el chapo works I don't even have to explain myself just look at the neighboring towns in culiacan.... Whatever people need to bring it up to a committee and problems or concerns then somehow word gets to el chapo and he's the one buying more seeds for farmers to harvest and Feed their families,
      Created schools for those isolated towns up in the hills... He went all out when he bought ATVs one for each family in those isolated town for them to get around... If ur from the area you know wasup this is stuff that the Mexican media doesn't want you to know about

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  3. 'top of the dea list for leadership"

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    1. Man. screw the DEA bunch of corrupted mother fuckers.
      Mexican cartels got huge right under their noses. Do they exist at all??

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    2. The corrupt and cowardly Mexican government is more at fault for what is going on on their own country.

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    3. Both of them are at fault! because if the DEA really did its job! it would know the whole entire 'problem' but apparently they don't, or don't care because they are too busy wasting time and tax dollars doing other things! IF IT ISN'T LIKE THAT.. then how come they don't arrest the big Narco Trafickers when they come to the USA in their private planes/jets?? or in first class flights? ....after they land they go pretty much anywhere they want in their Lambos, Ferraris, Ashton Martins, Bentleys, Mercedez, etc. etc. In Cali? Nevada? in other states too.. To hell with that useless crap called "DEA". they could had help the mexican'ts with those criminals, but no.

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  4. I don't c any mention of el lic being the leader a cds so I don't know y the title said that? It only states that he is one of three leaders

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  5. It doesn't and I don't think he will ever be..it just explains where he reigns (El Dorado) but the cartel isn't waiting or hoping for a 1man to rise as the head. There's more than a few guys moving big weight just as much as Mayo and Lic. Ever heard of Hector Roman?? Moves probably more product to the states than Lic but never hear about him and doesn't need to have his whole town locked down.

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    Replies
    1. Yes .. You are right.. But hes on the list now.. In usa sight.

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    2. Exactly, also I believe that Ivan Archivaldo and Damaso Lopez are just poster childs for Chapo's faction and Chapo's brother Aureliano "El Guano" is the one responsible of Chapo's people, but you never hear about him.

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  6. Hahahaha lovely story about the gold crucifix :)

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  7. No their just saying he's in a very high level position, like the article said had he, Chapos sons or Mayo had tried to take full control an internal fight would break out. I think nobody really wants to be the #1 guy not they way they have been falling lately the best thing to do is split the territory like the mafia did in New York? There's enough money for everyone to make.. Just my opinion

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    1. Yeah, there is also plenty of persons to destroy, extort, corrupt right?

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    2. Once your in the game it's free ball on anyone buddy, real criminal's don't mess with the innocent, many do tho which is sad.. But there are a few WHO won't tolerate any physical harm to the innocents.. For example La Barbie wouldn't allow his group of men to rape nor kill women and children who were honestly in a bad position... So my reply to you is why was the person getting hurt even in the game to even begin with?? MONEY TALKS LOUD AND CLEAR.. "El perro baile por dinero"

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  8. glorifying another low life
    its almost like a corrido

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  9. On another note were is LA TuTA? I miss that fella
    And his great getaways and attorney roles in Mexico
    Im trying to buy land i cant get ahold of him

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  10. If you go on youtube on the song los hijos del senor el licensiado (2011 ) you can see him in the beginning of the video the first 10 seconds walking around with his Ar 15 with grenade launcher at one of his ranches .and when the trucks are pullibg in that is his ranch

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    Replies
    1. Could be dude,looks the same build and face even and some of these dudes are definitely known to appear in these videos?Good spot dude.

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  11. Okkkkaaay ad how is he the leader????

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  12. Taking over what other pendejos left cooking.. Drug cartel groups here, drug cartel groups there, El Dorado, Culiacan, Mazatlan, other places of Shitsnaloa.. Shotnora.. Duraano.. Mochuecon.. Jaliskollo, Distrito Pedorral, other states.. All traficking together under the same C.D.S. cartel moving the Corruption here and there, a head boss in each of those places.. "el 1".. "el 2".. "el 3".. "el 4".. "el 5".. "el 6".. on and on.. on.. all thanks to many pendejos that helped created them.. leaving a big problem for others to "solve"... let them grow some more see what happens... even the USA is going to lick donkey ass... with all their politicians corrupted, a la CROOKED MEXICAN STYLE...

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    Replies
    1. Don't forget the michoanacos

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    2. Michoacan is done Tuta got caught

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    3. 7:30 Yeah but CJNG is taking tutas place. They gotta be next.

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  13. Clam down computer narcos. Don't get your lacy panties in a bunch. This is El Pais article as it says at top, and their headline.

    says who?

    I Says

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  14. So I hope Mr rafael caro quintero and Mr zambada join forces and take out the zetas.. Mexico would truly be a better place.. don't you think ?

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    1. Calm down buddy. Its not 2005 anymore to be fighting zetas. Theres not enough power around to do it. And what makes you think they can win?

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    2. If you anything about the drug war you will know that Zetas are like cockroaches that never seem to go away. It would be a waste of time, resources and manpower to fight the Zetas. It accomplishes nothing but bring more heat down on all the cartels.

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    3. in 2010 4 cartels got together to take down los zetas not just any cartel it was the cds cdg knights templer cjng. ... 5 years later cdg barley exist KT are barely relevant cds is only in a few states in the Pacific Coast and cjng some have tried to make an alliance with the blo and the zetas but it didn't work out because like el chapo and cartel del golfo they are traitors ... the zetas run most of all the east coast and alot of the state's that used to be cds territory and with the help of the zetas the blo have a big presence in sinaloa ... and cdj is making a come back

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    4. I just read that cholo Ivan of cds got arrested .... one by one cds is going down

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    5. To 10:49

      Naaah dude, Zetas have been "falling like a house of cards". Los Zetas was a hand crafted situation for many reasons, but they couldn't handle the power and snitched on each other or ended up attracking too much attention. The truth is that no one likes those dudes and their big players got fucked plus 90% of their muscle was comformed of teenagers who can't handle the big leagues.

      Everybody knows the Sinaloan people are the ones running the show and now the "East Coast" is being handled by certain people who always did but there won't be no more fighting like that.

      And about Juarez, anything could happen but I think people just want to make money.

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  15. Hmmm? Everything is measured. I wonder what El Chapo's sons have to say about this latest development. Blood is thicker than water. El Mayo? El Azul? They give their blessing?

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  16. I was with jailsco boys and each region have shot callers but no jefe de jefes, chapo was never the boss of all bosses

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  17. You computer narcos there is no boss. Chapo was never the boss, they are a loose organization that all help each other out and each man runs a crew. They are not like Knights Templars bunk ass cartel that has la tuta who is the top shot caller. It's mexico, it's not the Italians in New York when lucky Luciano was the boss of all bosses

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    1. Exactamente! K. Onda

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    2. Asi mero. el chapo might had had a couple of them under his 'command' (mostly newcomers, looking to become independent trafickers in the future, those are the ones that end up replacing others that get arrested, like el Chabruto himself) but he never was the jefes de jefes, same thing with el Zambada, El Azul, etc.. That is how they form cartel groups every where traficking all under the same Cartel De Sinaloa. El Chino Antrax was forming his own cartel group. Before he got arrested in Netherland. But there are still other Antrax, Gentes Nuevas doing the same shit out there. Same with the CJNG that has ties with the Sinaloans. Fucking damn putos creating Drug Cartel Corruption every where.

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    3. You dumb there is a boss there has to be to keep others in control chapo was the boss of bosses.

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    4. 12:55 Estas rependejo. So you saying that el chaparro was also el MZ boss? idiota ! ! Lol

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  18. Tuta is the new leader of cds haha

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  19. I must admit I always enjoy hearing inside stories from towns people about the big time narcos. I got spoiled by Terrence Poppa's the book "drug lord" about day to day life of kingpin Pablo Acosta. Id love to see more books along the same lines. Two great choices would be La Barbie and/or Osiel Cardenas Gullien. They must be sitting on a treasure trove of information. we need to get some resources together and work out something so we can go down and do a series of interviews with him. We could also write him, or other locked up Mexican narcos in the US. I'm sure these guys would die for a pen-pal! Most of them are in solitary confinement 24/7. Does anyone have any information on how I could get in contact with someone in Mexican federal prison?

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  20. Am I the only one wondering.......Did El Licenciado get his sons crucifix back? They left us hanging!

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  21. I don't think its fair to say that this article promotes anything. Its a story about the way of life in one town spoken by the townspeople. Cartels are an acceptable part of life there. These are families that span generations. I'm sure most are thankful that the leaders choose to do the darker side of their profession somewhere else. If the cartels don't disturb the peace in their town, of course they would be thankful for it.

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  22. No mention of El Azul here but I'm sure he's still out there. There is no doubt that Mayo has taken some hits lately and Damaso is looking strong but overall, CDS seems stable.

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    1. @6:13 Am. I'd hate to see what your definition of unstable is with the snitchiloans

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  23. I guess the only think to take from this article is that the man in the article has reached capo status and that he is educated and has a dumb kid.That's it

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    1. Hahaha.. idiots right? instead of living a normal life with some millions of dollars in some place with prostitutes or a wife.. they decide to keep doing the same shiet. They probably think that is an honor to keep doing the same crap their rancheros padres did.. what honor somebody said??...

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  24. Dyane jean francois translated, thanks dyane jeans, did she translate specially for BB??
    --Don't worry or even bother answering the trollin' trollops siskyou, you will not make 'em happy unless you are ready to ram a shoe all the way up their arses, all the way...

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  25. Just saying, you have a name on the forum, why do you feel entitled to come here to criticize others and post anonymous??? Unless it is an inside joke...
    Atentamente: "el papa de las gallinas" aka anonymous

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  26. Senor damaso ayude a la gente del valle d Juarez ChihuahuA los aztecas y linieros andAn kon los federales akavando kon la gente del Inge gabino el pueblos de caseta nececitan su ayuda esoS son bien marranos

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    1. no sea pendejo compa, usted ya se la pelo porque esa gente ya esta muerta o muy pronto van a morir. No hay de otra. Es mejor que se integre o se adapte para que no sufra tanto. Cuando los shapulines terminen entonces todo seguira en forma. O le tengo otra sugerencia: mejor vayase a vivir a sinaloa y vemos como le va, andele ganele.

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  27. This guy will fall before MZ

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  28. Oye. .. . ..
    il mundo non è tuo. NON TI APPARTENGONO. capisce?

    - BoOM

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    1. @11:12 ???you must think you are a one man reeeal goomba crime family...

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  29. 9:13 Really? MZ is bigger fish than him, he has more fishes in his soup. He gots to be next.
    El licenciado needs to be free for a couple of years more, until his time is up... Hahaha

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  30. On another note Alfredito olivas was gunned down in plain view on the stage video footage available online.

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  31. MZ gots to be next? I doubt it... Chapo has been caught twice, 3 sons locked up, survived the wars with CAF and BLO, outlived Nacho Coronel and possibly El Azul, lost his best hitmen (M1 and MP). Thats why he's El M Grande. He surely not his strongest right now but he's weathered storms before. Damaso never sold a oz. before 2009. He's realitivly new to this business. I dont think Damaso will have the longevity Mayo has had, and no im not a MZ nut-hugger, im just calling it how I see it.

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  32. 11:18 Really? why'd you say that?... we all know they don't call him el M Grande for nothing.

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  33. El Licenciado – someone who wouldn’t be out of place on a company’s board of directors – has focused his efforts on the city on the plain.

    How is this? The guy worked in a prison and was a police officer. What company boards could not be out of place on?

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