Blog dedicated to reporting on Mexican drug cartels
on the border line between the US and Mexico
.

Sunday, April 18, 2021

Former Gulf Cartel Boss Sentenced to 20 Years in Mexico; US Extradition Pending

"Morogris" for Borderland Beat; TY to "Parro" and "NealinCaborca"

Mario Cardenas Guillen was also known by his aliases El M-1 and/or El Gordo.

Mario Cardenas Guillen, a former leader of the Gulf Cartel, was sentenced to 20 years in prison this weekend for organized crime involvement and drug trafficking. He was originally sentenced in June 2019, but his lawyers successfully appealed and overturned the sentence.

He is the brother of Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, the once legendary leader of the Gulf Cartel and its former paramilitary group, Los Zetas. Osiel was sentenced to 25 years in the US in 2010 and is scheduled for early release in 2024, as reported by Borderland Beat.

For his time already served in Mexico, Mario will be out in 2032, should be not be extradited to the US. He is wanted by the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas for drug trafficking. Mario is currently imprisoned at the Federal Social Readaptation Center No. 1 ("Altiplano"), a maximum-security prison in the State of Mexico.

Background

Mario was born in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, the historic home base of the Gulf Cartel, in 1964. He was imprisoned at a penitentiary in Matamoros in 1995 for drug trafficking and organized crime involvement.

While in prison, Mario was also known for holding large parties, inviting prostitutes, organized gambling rings for horse races and cockfights, and having all sort of commodities. He was also suspected of coordinating drug trafficking activities for the Gulf Cartel. Federal authorities then transferred him to the Federal Social Readaptation Center No. 2 ("Puente Grande"), a maximum-security prison in Jalisco.

Mario Cardenas Guillen during his 2012 arrest. 

He was released from prison in 2007 and resumed his organized crime activities. He rose through the ranks of the Gulf Cartel after the November 2010 death of his brother Antonio Ezequiel Cárdenas Guillén ("Tony Tormenta").

Mario was part of a faction known as Grupo M and/or Los Marinos, which was reportedly made up of former marines and was based in Matamoros. His code name was "M-1", but it is often confused with the code names from another Gulf Cartel faction, Los Metros. Cartel member Lorenzo Cuellar Botello from Los Metros also had the code name "M-1".

In September 2012, Mario was arrested by the Mexican Navy in Altamira, Tamaulipas.

Extradition proceedings

In October 2020, Borderland Beat reported that Mexico's Attorney General's Office (FGR) announced Mario was approved for U.S. extradition. But he was able to stay in Mexico after arguing that the COVID-19 pandemic posed a health risk to him.

Earlier that year, Mario had been successful at halting his extradition to the U.S. His attorneys were able to convince a federal judge to re-review the prerequisites required for his transfer and that the prosecution had violated several articles of the Extradition Treaty between the U.S. and Mexico, as reported by Borderland Beat.

Sources: Proyecto Puente; Borderland Beat archives

Mario Cardenas Guillen - U.... by MX

17 comments:

  1. Is the forum gonna come back or is blogger or whoever still asking to much $?

    ReplyDelete
  2. https://www.lavozdemichoacan.com.mx/michoacan/detienen-a-uno-que-participo-en-atentado-contra-convoy-de-vacunacion-anticovid/

    ReplyDelete
  3. He ran out of bribe money, therefore the judge said, post his name, show his face, send him to USA

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. His face had been posted years ago, these are old pics.

      Delete
  4. El Señor de Los Marinos! Valiste vergas

    ReplyDelete
  5. he had already been in prision in 1995... second offenders should spend much more time in prison. but somehow the judge didn't consider this. the US for sure won't since they love lenient sentences for capos in exchange for their $$$

    ReplyDelete
  6. His brother gave the FED something there's no reason he should be getting out early!! Two pieces of s*** who should be executed!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. The top dogs rarely get real sentences on neither side of the border. Reeks from corruption and influence from the above.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Is this dude the original M1 from the metros faction ?

    M2 don goyo
    M3 samuel Flores

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No, check out the "Background" section. He was from the Grupo M or Los Marinos, a short-lived group in Matamoros. The media has mistakenly said "M" was for Metros. Metro 1 was Lorenzo Cuellar Botello.

      https://archivo.eluniversal.com.mx/estados/65900.html

      Delete
    2. The original/OG metros from reynosa and frontera chica are former cops ?

      Delete
    3. 12:26 - Seems about right. Metro 4 was a transit police. Need to consult my old list for the rest of the OGs.

      Delete
  9. Metro 1 es Rogelio García García escolta personal de Osiel, el junto con el Coss encañonaron a los Agentes Americanos.

    Comandante del Grupo Metro de la Judicial del Estado.

    Actualmente se dice radica en Houston

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Where can I read more on this? I have in my notes that Rogelio Garcia Garcia was known as "El Roger". I have a March 2003 article from El Norte that says he is dead. Protected witness Rufino said that El Roger and his brother Titino were killed by the Gulf Cartel in Punto Milpa, Matamoros.

      Delete
    2. "Roger" y/o "Metro 1" No hay mucho que leer de alguna nota sería, te mentiría si te asegurara alguna fuente.

      Quizá puedas sacar algo de esa historia del presunto Mellado "Hijo de la Guerra".

      Lo que Yo se es que M1 esta como el "Flaco" y/o "Alfil" que no recuerdo si eran Judas o Papa Metro.

      Y bueno para finalizar muchos testimonios de esos TP no son muy fiables

      Delete
    3. Got it. Thank you. Feel free to email me. I have several mentions of El Roger in El Norte archives, including his connection to Colombians and his reported role in helping take down El Chava. Do you have any info on Dimas González Rodriguez or Baldomero González Ruiz AKA El Viejo Fox? These two guys fell off the radar. The latter was wounded and I think retired.

      Delete
  10. No tengo nada para ofrecerle sobre ellos, quizá lleven una vida Empresarial como Mario López, los Abrego, Malherbe, Sergio Martínez entre otros Barones de la Droga.

    En sus investigaciones estara la vez que el Azul fue apoyado y protegido lo Juan Garcia?

    ReplyDelete

Comments are moderated, refer to policy for more information.
Envía fotos, vídeos, notas, enlaces o información
Todo 100% Anónimo;

borderlandbeat@gmail.com