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on the border line between the US and Mexico
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Wednesday, May 12, 2021

Independent Drug Kingpin 'Chuy González' Charged With Heroin, Fentanyl Trafficking; Assets Frozen in US and Mexico

"Morogris" for Borderland Beat

Jesús González Peñuelas (alias "Chuy González") is an independent drug kingpin based in Sinaloa and Sonora that has strategic alliances other drug cartels. He is currently at large.

US authorities have issued charges and economic sanctions to Mexican drug kingpin Jesus Gonzalez Penuelas (alias "Chuy Gonzalez") and his criminal group, the Gonzalez Penuelas Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO).

A federal grand jury indictment was unsealed today in San Diego, California, accusing Chuy Gonzalez of international drug trafficking as an independent or freelance drug leader. US authorities say his criminal group is one of the largest raw opium gum and heroin sources of supply in northern Mexico. They also claim he is a major distributor of fentanyl. 

Since 2007, Chuy Gonzalez operates primarily in the Mexican states of Sinaloa and Sonora, in various ports of entry along the US-Mexico border, and with distribution cells in California, Texas, Colorado, Washington, Utah, and Nevada. He also oversees several Sinaloa heroin processing laboratories and is responsible for transporting and selling cocaine and M-30s fentanyl pills.

Chuy Gonzalez reportedly cooperates with various criminal groups in Mexico, acting as an "enforcement arm" for various of these cartels' in their drug trafficking routes. Authorities say he is linked to Fausto Isidro Meza Flores (alias "Chapo Isidro") and Rafael Caro Quintero.

In addition to these drug charges, Chuy Gonzalez was identified by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) as a Significant Foreign Narcotics Traffickers pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act). This designation froze all his US-based assets and prohibited US citizens and entities from conducting transactions with him.

Kingpin Chart with the individuals and businesses sanctioned (source: OFAC)

The OFAC also designated his brothers Ignacio and Wilfrido Gonzalez Penuelas, Efrain Mendivil Figueroa, Adelmo Nunez Molina, and Raul and Juana Payan Meraz. 

  • Ignacio Gonzalez Penuelas, a Mexican national, serves as a primary lieutenant for the organization by overseeing the security of narcotics shipments. In 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado charged Ignacio Gonzalez Penuelas with multiple drug trafficking offenses.
  • Mexican national Wilfrido Gonzalez Penuelas is involved in heroin and opium trafficking by operating street-level stores within the Gonzalez Penuelas DTO’s territory in Mexico. 
  • Efrain Mendivil Figueroa is also a Mexican national and one of the Gonzalez Penuelas DTO’s fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine distributors and transportation coordinators.  In 2019, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon charged him with trafficking heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl.
  • Mexican national Adelmo Nunez Molina is a raw opium gum source-of-supply for Jesus Gonzalez Penuelas.  In 2019, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado charged Adelmo Nunez Molina with various drug trafficking charges.
  • Raul Payan Meraz, a Mexican national, oversees poppy production for the Gonzalez Penuelas DTO.
  • Juana Payan Meraz, also a Mexican national, is a narcotics trafficking associate of Raul Payan Meraz.

The entity designated was construction company City Plaza, Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, based in Guasave, Sinaloa, for being owned or controlled by Efrain Mendivil Figueroa.

Following the announcement in the US, Mexico's Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) also froze all of Chuy Gonzalez's bank accounts in Mexico. This measure was confirmed on Twitter by the UIF's chief Santiago Nieto Castillo, who said that the accounts were frozen due to Chuy Gonzalez's suspected drug trafficking involvement.

In September 2014, Chuy Gonzalez was rumored dead after five people were killed in a plane crash in Sinaloa, as reported by Borderland Beat.

Sources: USDOJ; USDT; Milenio; Borderland Beat archives

80 comments:

  1. His name is Jesus Gonzalez "Puñetas" lol.

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    1. Punetas verga! C lo miras eso le haces del miedo . rependejo! Te dijo no cuidan la vida val berga k tienes. Me gista pa k esta agarrando desemplio en estados unidos. 😂😂😂😂😂😂

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    2. Serious, you just commented to say some nonsense and run your mouth??? Not even on your days off you stop being a clown. I know of a little kids party you could work. Atleast you'll get paid for being a clown, you clown

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  2. So he is still alive??? If I remember correctly nobody knew if he died in the plane crash???

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  3. He's with Rafa and Chapo Isidro, and El Cadete, Rafas nephew who was arrested in 2017. actually, turned himself in. All part of same investigation.

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    1. Al 100 con los beltran y payan/caro

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    2. So basically old school family mafia against the news Aka American agentes zambadas chapos and cjng

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    3. Al millón compa..../👍 bien filo.....

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    4. De sembuchen la neta chavalones.. cuenten cómo está corriendo el agua..

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  4. I have a question that maybe someone can help answer because I am a bit confused about something. How do cartels allow independent drug dealers to work because doesn't this cause a conflict of interest? This person can end up citing with one group or another so I find that very interesting. If someone can provide me with a plausible answer I would really appreciate it. Thank you.

    RUBIO NYC

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    1. I think most times they are taxed, especially when they want to cross a certain border “plaza”. They’ll tax them to operate in an area or just to use a crossing. I think the big organizations don’t mind it as long as they get the $. Kinda like the mafia in NYC used to do things, if you operate there you have to kick up money to the bosses

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    2. @10:07 it's called 'piso' = right to trespass. An indepdent scumbag pays the organized scumbags controlling an area a fee allowing him to pass with his drugs.

      This makes sense for both parties of scumbags since the independent scumbag brings those controlling an area without them having to do much work (like procuring, weighing, packaging, transporting etc) .

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    3. Crazy he can work independently cuz I would
      Think a big cartel would say ok this guy is makin too much he needs to join us or let’s kill his people off or even steal a load from this guy... seems like conflict of interest. Didn’t know they would let these guys freelance

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    4. 132 unless the guy is a big fish and getting it directly from down south they’re most likely buy it from a dto or cartel. They just operate independently

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    5. No body taxes him bro. Gets facts right bro stop watching drug inc the big bosses shine there dick bro u guys are funny . mark my word i bet he will never be in a fed prison here .... Three letters are going to go heavy and in his area there hit .. Lol homie about it bro .. No clown like the other ones his people get caught if the dont put them in the air the same moment he take them away not with money with balls .. 👍 not riding his dick bro homie came from the dirt and be did it bro by himself .he started as a kidnapper and the weed game now homie he dont send shit to usa .. More like spain bro. Euro money . dollors no bueno... 😎 arriba el batamote !

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    6. Take what answers you get here with a grain of salt. Nobody here knows. By the time Bs gets on the internet and couch potatoe hobbyist are talking about it everything has changed.

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  5. It's crazy how many drug organizations there is in Mexico & there's many more that we don't know about.

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    1. The government knows the cartels have family members or acquaintance in the US. Fuck this bullshit war on drugs!

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  6. Chuy Gonzalez es compadre del Mochomo y al 100 con los Beltran

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    1. Ese cierto . i lo k mide de grande con las botas del 18 i medio les pega un patadon en el culo a cual kiere verga . el va por enfrente igual k sus carnales vergas.. Son hombres agarren escuela .. I sin hacer mucho ruido .. No necesita 10000 corridos si los quicera le sobra material no mentiras . hechos !! Vergas.. Echele putasos mi 10.

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  7. Never heard of this dude, would be nice to have a list of independent Mexican traffickers on here, any independent traffickers in Tamaulipas?

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    1. Good question. Would you consider Idalia Ramos Rangel a freelance/independent trafficker? I personally do.

      Authorities have tried to frame her as a "high-ranking Gulf Cartel member", but the details I've read about her investigation indicate she was running her own network through Matamoros, likely by paying "piso" or participating in the so-called "la polla".

      We wrote her Wikipedia bio in September 2019. Sources at the bottom. Link here:

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idalia_Ramos_Rangel

      Same goes for another fella known as Abel Briones Ruiz. These are the few that make it to the spotlight. Most work without ever getting scrutiny.

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    2. 10:38 you dont hear about him simply because he like the other smart mofos move in silence!

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    3. Most independent in Tamps are cartel affiliated and pay piso, well on both sides of the border.

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    4. I think the word "independent" is only in relation to the traditional big cartels as some independent groups are cartels themselves. The word here is almost blurred since one can also say "CDS is *independent* of smaller groups". But, then again, "independent" groups work alongside the big cartels.

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  8. The connection between el “01” and Chuy low key caught me off guard. I know they been working in that area for the longest time. They really don’t show out like culichis. We have close relatives to them and to Chilo (passed away a few years back) also known as el dos letras that was the head of la mochomera.

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  9. Quien le puso dedo gente corriente si el chuy no se mete con naiden

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    1. @10:55 yo digo que fue El Cadete

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    2. Neta viejo en california c le habrio el culo a uno bonito por k son mentira el carnal chico no hace nada pinche raton vale verga la juegan de mafiosos i dan las nalgas nomas la mujer no le contesta la llamada del cca . perro en la calle c comen el mundo vergas .. El k le puso el dedo no te arrimes por k nomas vas a salir pa morirte re baboso so ese la misme tu vieja tu muerto yo mevla cojo rata valle verga . como me gustsria agarte con un candado en un cinto asta k te cajes de la putiza .. 😂😂😂😂

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  10. Isn't this guy the only one (along with Isidro of course) that is left from the original mazatlecos structure shown a few years ago?

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  11. The DEA wants to make people think that most of the drugs that are smuggled to the US are done by major drug cartels like Sinaloa, CJNG, etc. However, most of the smugglers who move this stuff north are freelance or independent guys who the cartel gives them the drugs (which the smugglers purchase). They are then free to distribute it across the US with their own networks or by using the cartel's contacts. Or they pay the fee at the plazas and are free to smuggle it.

    Some move drugs once, make some money and then put that for a house downpayment, kid's school, gf's
    surgery, or for their car, you name it. others freelancers move drugs few times, buy themselves a house, open a business, buy real estate. others stay long in the game, then become as big as this guy.

    the DEA doesn't want you to know this because that would reduce part of their funding (much of their rhetoric is to show/prove that the cartels are transnational organizations like any Fortune 100 company) and that they are responsible for most of the drugs that make it to the US. But the reality is different. most of the drugs are ran by freelancers. people who come and go, looking to make money quickly. its harder to fight a lone wolf so we create the narrative of major cartels to simplify.

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    1. 104am 100% Many task force come up in big bust and as long as no weapons are involved and not gang related and they catch and release. Of course naive people and those that come here to troll do not know that. Only those with experience know.

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    2. No there making this guy look like hes independent but he's 100% Beltran/Chapo Isidro

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    3. @1:04 exactly right!

      Our mainstream media is happy to dish out this official story, so that we all sit there with our brainwashed heads going ahhh, ohhh, I see and I know.

      In reality mainstream media shows a VERY VERY reduced part of reality in order to 'not confuse' us (=aka not make us think).

      I think nowadays only the narrative for foreign policy/relations is more heavily controlled and redacted than the narrative on drug policy/enforcement/information.

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    4. so cjng and cds are fake? you basically contradict yourself here.

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    5. And your source would be?? And how do you explain all of their money and power?!

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    6. You are quite right about this and is fascinating. On the USA side, there is little to no centralized command and control organizations. While is true some groups with membership such as urban gangs, prison gangs and Mafia type organizations may constitute on a smaller scale what is seen in Mexico ie an organized criminal enterprise, the vast majority of the USA drug market persists due to the efforts of individuals working for their own self interests. Like you mentioned, some folks enter the trade with a specific goal in mind.. make x amount of cash quickly to achieve a goal not seen as reachable without fast easy money, or as simple as funding their own drug habit or at minimum keeping close to the supply of a drug for personal use. Folks enter the trade and exit the trade in a revolving door type system that somehow keeps the whole system running without any specific leadership. On average most folks seem to participate for some years where they consume drugs, move drugs between locations, expand drugs to new markets and introduce them to new customers and then their participation as sellers begins to wane due getting caught, changes in personal life ie wife/kids and want to leave that life behind, sober up and no longer a user, getting religion or otherwise new purpose in life where days are no longer spent in pursuit of drugs or drug related enterprises. But sure enough, as one exits the lifestyle, another enters and the cycle continues on.

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    7. 6:04 - Never said they were fake, you did! All I'm saying it perhaps the size of the cartels as we know them may not be as portrayed by the DEA. They still make a lot of money because they control most of the vertical integration.

      7:04 - This theory still shows that cartels control most of the vertical integration, which is millions in itself. "piso" fees are huge and that's where they would get a lot of money. Cartels smuggle too, never said they didn't.

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    8. And then when the "INDEPENDENT" guy wants to RETIRE from the DRUG GAME after making decent MONEY, his conects SNITCH on him and he has to prove his innocence.. Those guys also get kidnapped by the CARTEL and robed
      Seen it many TIMES
      Basicly have to look out for SNITCHES, people out to TAKE your money and DRUGS while your looking out for cops
      NOT a pretty lifestyle..

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    9. 7:50 - Exactly. Mexico is full of these freelancers who act in their own interest and work with the reigning cartel in a certain plaza, pay their fees/dues, and move on their own. It is reduced liability for the cartel and still guaranteed money if the freelancer pays them upfront for the load. You can also arrange to pay less upfront but the cartel has to trust you that you can get the money back to them for giving you the drugs.

      I can't say much else because I don't want to reveal too much. But I live in a border town and can tell you people do this. They contact the cartel, cartel works out the deal with them, and then the freelancers move it for them. They are not necessarily "defined members" of that criminal group. They are just guys who contacted the cartel who knew somebody who knew somebody who knew someone in the cartel.

      Mainstream media and the government will frame them as "[Insert Cartel] member" but this is not necessarily true. They are just buying or moving the cartels products and reselling them...

      - El Choclo

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    10. And then when the "INDEPENDENT" guy wants to RETIRE from the DRUG GAME after making decent MONEY, his conects SNITCH on him and he has to prove his innocence.. Those guys also get kidnapped by the CARTEL and robed
      Seen it many TIMES
      Basicly have to look out for SNITCHES, people out to TAKE your money and DRUGS while your looking out for cops.
      NOT a pretty lifestyle..

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    11. 10:11 - if you make it high up in the ladder in the drug game then yes. thats when people get greedy and risks go up. but if you are moving loads maybe twice a year and then pull out before getting caught, you'll likely be okay. but people start liking the money and then get caught.

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    12. 1:04 am I agree 100% with you. Most people that work up north have there own structures. Some pay Piso to work or jump work but most pass by with out anybody knowing. Some may be affiliated with a group but most heavy hitters have there own structures. Cartel are the biggest pipe line for hard drugs inside and outside the usa. They will always supple anybody that's willing to pay there set price. The further down you go in Mexico the cheaper the price but the harder it is to get to the border. I also agree with you about the funding of federal agencies. They have huge budgets that only grow year by year. I believe that the cartels inside the united estates are very powerful and money rich. You hardly ever hear about them there always a smoke cloud and there always a kingpin to take the heat out side the us. They only difference between mexican and American cartels is that the us gov. will never acknowledge they exist. It's not in there best interest that the American people now that there part of the problem.

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    13. @10:11. Yup i use to work out of mexicali a while back and yea u gotta pay piso to operate there. Theres lots of freelance people there that have there own labs in other citys close by( a lot in slrc and ensenada) to bring product in to be sold to anyone in mxl who wants to cross drugs to usa. And some freelancers do sell product to the cartel and move thier stuff if they dont got the transport for the right fee. Its all about $$$

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    14. @10:11 a lot of what you described goes on in Juarez

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    15. Doesn't matter if your independent or work directly for in Mexico you wont be allowed to get out they will kill you. Maybe in some small cases you might be able to but if your moving enough weight to buy houses cars. They will either facilitate your arrest or kill you. Very different than here in u.s

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    16. @1:04. Wow. Thanks for breaking it down on the real. I never knew this. I had assumed that freelancers were playing a dangerous game and were eliminated when found out. Now I see that they are fully sanctioned movers of the product. As a gullible American, I had swallowed the DEA's official line about Mexican DTO's. Thanks for opening my eyes.

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    17. @10:59 No problem Jimmy!

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    18. So many internet Einstein’s that know all the intricate details of the underworld. Grow up stop watching TV and get a job

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  12. El Rey zambada SNITCHED..
    CHAPO SNITCHED
    Vicentillo SNITCHED..
    Somebody had to mention his NAME..

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    1. Yup it was el cadete Rafa caros nephew!

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    2. And u still hear there corridos . lol .. . those niggas are clown i been with real niggas in usp federal prison bro . this guy is a man not a clown no body taxes him they respect him bro because he show bis heart not runing his mouth on instagram his on one truck hard one with a ak bro not with 3p trucks and at the end the come and surrender and leave the place of birth at night dress like woman praying to make it to the dea to hide and live like pussy niggas looking back . when in realty the where millonares and there generations dont have ti worry about money never and to me that u serving ur porpose in life if ur family is set foe decades or more if the get u bro do that life bro with ur head up and be happy u accomplish ur dream ur family are set. Not tell on everybody and ur whole last name is killed people u probley never gave one dollor .. Think of that . money is beatiful .doing ur time homie is better like man bro when u get out with ur head high and dont need to go hide . is sick bro i did it bro ..if everybody shut the fuck up bro dea wiuld not exist . there not smart they got weak niggas that say shit and realty if they shut up the probly get the same time or a year more bro but like man . like mochomo when u seen him crying never .. His doing his time and i bet he will never be forgotten and he served his purpose he last name is set for a century at least.. 👍 real talk .

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  13. Everybody smuggling

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  14. Poor Chuy now in a whole lot of big trouble. Time for the pokey.

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    1. homie he doest losse one second of sleep . his been want for the last 30 years dumbass. U need to stop seening movie and go back to ur carwash job before they fire u . and pay the dope man the 10 blue ones u owe him before ur credit card gets cancel. And u going to suck dick for ur next m30.. Lol . funny nigga. And no i dont need food stamps.. Lol

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  15. Saludos pal CP1 y al CP2!

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  16. El Chuy?!?!...Chuy?!?! Es mi carnal!!! Órale Ese.

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  17. Someone is snitching on chuy... hes low key.. hes with chapo isidro ..
    My guess. Los de culiacan.. esos jotos siempre andan con la ley... cantan en mexico y los e.u los zambadas

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    1. K loco . neta k si.. El chuy tiene diez vez mas i no c come el mundo como otros ira cerro mitotes .. Aggarren eschuela vergas agancen hombres .. Su viejo en pase descancse lo creo como hombre. Eso fue . no por k culican or guasave no en todos lados hay buenos o malos tu decides como caminas . i no necesta 300 hombre solo mi viejo pa k no haiga testigos.. Saludos de phoenix . i si les callo me vale verga por k son verdades ..no presuman si ya saben kien son i agusto van a estar si no. El cca los espera i dejan dinero pa k no andan pidendo sopas i caffee. Tengan verguenza.😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

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  18. He is 100% BLO and was part of Los Mazatleco back when they were ambushing and giving hell to Sinaloa. El H2, chapo isidro, etc. they have a collage of pictures of them all years ago. This is definitely him. He just looks like he gained more weight.

    There was a story on borderland in 2014 of him being dead in a plane crash including 4 others. Obviously he isn’t dead.

    UPDATED POST "El Chuy" is reported being one of the 5 killed in Sinaloa plane crash.

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    1. Thanks for posting this. I've added this info to the article and included the link as well:

      http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2014/09/el-chuy-is-reported-as-one-of-5-killed.html

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  19. FYI - excellent article on AP with superb photos of Mexican kids carrying weapons https://apimagesblog.com/blog/2021/5/10/mexican-villages-arm-children-in-desperate-bid-for-attention?fbclid=IwAR0mwspIu5c7uygwooR_gqRKfBYjNO3vtuFcILbzIlLdN46wiyOcgtPMFsY

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    1. Those are some excellent pictures! We covered a story last month about that incident:

      http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2021/04/children-in-guerrero-arm-themselves.html

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  20. This guy has been fighting CDS since early 2010s

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    1. Well if he’s still partners with Isidro, then allegedly they are now allied with MZ…

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    2. And he has a pact with chapos brother en la Sierra.

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    3. Hes also partnered with adelmo nuñez and RCQ they are not aligned with mz. Lemo is fighting chapos and mayos in choix
      But but CDS isnt infighting.
      Nerd.

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    4. You call him a nerd yet you stutter even when typing “but but” haha clown

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  21. Guasave has bred some serious, serious big players..

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    1. Y el Gas San y sus carnales que pedo?

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    2. ONLY THING they know how to DO is DRUG dealing..

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    3. I will throw a name of a heavy heavy Agricultor from Guasave. He would give Faustino money pa las cocas growing up. "Falomir"

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    4. @9:55 pm that’s what he is referring to buddy. He’s not glamorizing the fact, just stating it.

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  22. Saludos para chiyito no es un amino cualquiera de la confiansa del gefe con el anda donde quiera ya sea en la siudad o en lo also de la sierra es pura gente de alfreo here de la mochomera 🎵🎶

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  23. El 10 y 04 fueron de los primeros que defendieron a su compadre el Mochomo cuando lo traciono el chapo. Chuyito siempre a edtado al 100 con los Beltran Leyva. Eso de independiente siempre le ponen, segun ellos los Beltran no existen

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  24. Probably the cienfuego blo/is isidro connection exposed this right?

    ReplyDelete

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