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Monday, June 14, 2021

Héctor 'El Güero' Palma Held Under Preventative Arrest for 40 More Days

"Morogris" for Borderland Beat

Last month, Hector "El Guero" Palma was absolved from his charges and released from prison, just to be re-arrested minutes later.

Sinaloa Cartel founding member Héctor 'El Güero' Palma will be held under preventative arrest (Spanish: arraigo) for 40 more days without formal charges. This measure was approved by a federal judge after Mexico's organized crime investigatory agency (SEIDO) issued an extension.

As determined by Mexican law, a person detained under arraigo may be held without formal charges for up to 40 days with a judge's approval, or up to 80 days with further judicial approval, just as long as the detainee is suspected of cartel involvement.

By such rules, Palma could be released by late July if the presiding judge is not convinced that the prosecution's evidences against him are sufficient. Palma's attorney is convinced that will be the case.

The attorney explained that Palma was re-arrested on an old 1996 indictment for which he was already tried and absolved. He suspects that Palma was re-arrested to prevent media and political backlash.

"It was easy to re-arrest Palma without any clear charges because of his bad reputation ... the arraigo issued shows that Mexican authorities have no proof that he has committed any crime, otherwise they would not need 40 days to gather evidences against him", he said in an interview last month.

Palma's release and re-arrest garnered international headlines and worried Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO), who said that Mexico was about to become the target of international ridicule.

It is worth mentioning that Mexican prosecutors have historically struggled to gather evidences against suspects. Prior to the adoption of Mexico's New Criminal Justice System (Nuevo Sistema de Justicia Penal, NJSP) in 2016, the judicial system allowed for authorities to keep suspects under arraigo for up to 80 days while the prosecution gathered more evidences and built a case to present before a judge.

Arraigos have been greatly reduced over the years because critics stated that it could be abused and lead to arbitrary detention and human right violations. Prosecutors need to have the entire case against Palma ready by the end of his arraigo term.

Any errors in the case can get Palma walking out of prison within hours. As reported by Borderland Beat, Mexican investigators are still not very adjusted to this judicial reform and often hurry to put cases together. Defense attorneys are now looking into these things very carefully to help get their clients be released.

Why was he absolved?
Palma was released because the Attorney General's Office (FGR) was unable to prove or link him to the following charges:
  • The seizure of 3,288 kilograms of cocaine, weapons, and vehicles on July 19, 1999 in Tecomán, Colima.
  • The murder of Antonio Contreras, deputy director of the Nayarit State Police, perpetrated on May 18, 1995 in Xalisco, Nayarit.
  • The seizure of a plane with 12 million dollars in the mountains de Nayarit, coming from San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora, on October 12, 1995.
  • The drug theft case at FGR's offices in San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, on May 21, 1997. The prosecution said that Palma coordinated this operation from prison.

More on Palma's background

Palma was born in La Noria de Abajo, municipality of Mocorito, Sinaloa, where he reportedly met Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, ('The Godfather'), who recruited him as a hitman. He eventually met Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán and both became business partners.

In 1995, he was arrested while heading to a wedding on his private jet. While flying his jet suffered engine problems and he had to do a forced landing near the Jalisco and Nayarit state borders. His arrest confirmed what many Mexicans had long known: in Mexico, the police are for sale and drug lords are purchasing them. When Palma was arrested, most of his entourage were active members of the Federal Judicial Police (PJF).

Palma was imprisoned at the Federal Social Readaptation Center No. 2 ("Puente Grande"), the infamous prison where El Chapo escaped in 2001. In Mexico, Palma won several appeals and had his charges dropped multiple times.

However, in 2007, Palma was extradited to the U.S. and sentenced for his drug trafficking involvement. He was deported back to Mexico in 2016 and was re-arrested by Mexican authorities who were waiting for him at the border crossing. He was released from prison last month and re-apprehended outside the prison.

Sources: Milenio; Borderland Beat archives

28 comments:

  1. Mexican government really messing with this man days, whatever he has left of them. Focus on the real cancer of Mexico, el mayo zambeda😀😀 once he's out the picture peace will be restored and chapitos will get aligned

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    Replies
    1. Nah. Government should arrange a truce between CDS and CJNG. Like the old days.

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    2. 1:41 na man if you are stupid you will agree on a truce with cds and than get back stabed! Mencho aint stupid so he will never agree on a truce with MZnitch

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    3. “Zambeda” 🤦🏽‍♂️🤷🏾‍♂️

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    4. Really? You think any cartel would want a truce with those rats and snakes? Only a matter of time before they betray you. History repeats itself! @1:41 cds has to go no other way

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    5. Nope, government is just doing it's job as they should. This dude is responsible for a lot of deaths in Mexico. To Let him free would only prove AMLO's critics right.

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    6. Truces don’t last look at the truce between CDS and CDG

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    7. 5:15 6:39 and mencho isn’t a backstabbing snitch? Look at what he did to JP, Gallero, Gross…

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    8. @3:04 "backstabbing snitch"? When were they snitched on? A cada uno de esos chapulines se los quebraron y dime cómo andan en TJ esos chapulines?

      Delete
  2. Make up your mind you want him in prison or not, Jo Jo laws in Mexico.

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  3. Why does anyone care of this guy is released what good is he now?

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    Replies
    1. if you don't think a founder of the Sinaloa Cartel being released is news or of public interest than you need to leave your basement.

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  4. I miss you guero , te amo mi amor

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    Replies
    1. @4:14 LOL wtf

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    2. 😂🤣 what’s happening here 😂😂

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  5. Ya basta! Dejenlo salir, el trabajando la tierra a nadien le hace un mal.

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  6. Release Palma. Otherwise it's overkill. Like a Greek tragedy.



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  7. Ohhh I love you

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  8. Crooked cops holding him for the highest bidder
    Thats what it is
    Why dont they arrest Caro Quintero?

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  9. Real jefe..... jefe del CHAPULIN..... as a matter of fact, EL CHAPULIN, made the phone call back in 95’ to have total control of the cartel, since EL HUERO, was the real boss....

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    Replies
    1. @8:23 Con esto me queda claro que usted si dice pura pendejada y habla de lo que no sabe, qué tristeza, pero precisamente son los escuincles alucinados como usted y el otro regio pendejo los que andan de lame botas en la red.

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  10. I came across an old ántrax picture on Reddit this evening and I can identify chino, huero bastidas and mayito gordo in a group with others. Wonder if sic 006 is on that picture?

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    Replies
    1. He’s the guy on his knees playing Vincentes flute

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  11. Let Güero Palma get his hands on miguel angel felix gallardo, a man has a right to get even, and Palma has earned his right many times over,

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    Replies
    1. Shouldn't have stolen the ton of coke from his BOSS

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  12. They have nothing left. What they do have they can't prove. What they don't have are any witnesses alive to testify!

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  13. I don't understand why you ding dongs want this guy freed?! He's a known murderer. Responsible for death and destruction all accross Mexico. Keep his ass in there for the rest of his life. He's a detriment to society.

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  14. Guess cds doesn’t pay enough to get you out of prison after serving your time 🤣🤣 broke boys get yo Bandz up stop using your own supply of fenty smh

    ReplyDelete

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