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Monday, October 21, 2013

"El Wicho" and other Gulf Cartel figures appear in court

Borderland Beat

Court unveils more details on the men arrested along with Juan Roberto Rincón-Rincón as they prepare for trial

Mark Reagan | The Brownsville Herald


An alleged enforcer for a Gulf Cartel plaza boss was indicted  late September, along with his boss and another high-ranking cartel member, federal court documents show.

The men who were arrested along with Juan Roberto -Rincón made an appearance in federal court Thursday morning for a procedural motion hearings in preparation of trial.


A partially unsealed indictment charges Luis Ivan Nino-Duenes, also known as “Machin” and “XW-13,” along with Jose Luis Zuñiga-Hernandez, also known as “Comandante Wicho” and “XW,” and Armando Arizmendi-Hernandez, also known as “Comandante Mando” and “XW-2,” with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana and conspiracy to import the drugs into the United States, according to the indictment, which alleges the conspiracy began in 2002. 


The indictment lists three more names that have been blacked out. The men were arrested along with Juan Roberto Rincón-Rincón, also known as “Comandante X,” on Oct. 26, 2011, after fleeing a gun battle in Rio Bravo, Mexico, where Gulf Cartel rivals were trying to kill the men because of a conflict within the transnational criminal organization, court testimony revealed. 

El Wicho Spills and claims he was coerced to give information:

An article from Dec 12, 2011 about El Wicho from Valley Central:  
Federal court records say a high-ranking member of the Mexican Gulf cartel was fleeing "certain death" when caught by Border Patrol agents with a gold-plated handgun, cocaine and about $20,000.

The documents filed Monday reveal that Jose Luis Zuniga-Hernandez -- also known as "Comandante Wicho" -- admitted to his role in the cartel's marijuana trafficking operations.

Zuniga also spilled important information about the cartel to federal agents in the course of four lengthy interviews.

But Zuniga's attorney argued in a motion that those interviews were coerced.

The interviews took place in October after the Border Patrol apprehended Zuniga and four other men near the Rio Grande.

Zuniga is charged with illegal re-entry to the U.S. and possession of a firearm by a felon. He has pleaded not guilty.

Plead guilty to drug charges


Nino-Duenes was sentenced to five years in prison in February after being convicted of being an alien in possession of a firearm. Specifically, Nino-Duenes was found with Zuñiga-Hernandez’s gold-plated, diamond encrusted Colt. 38 Super handgun worth $57,000 that was commissioned in Reynosa, according to trial testimony. Zuñiga-Hernandez pleaded guilty earlier this year to being an alien in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to seven years in prison. Rincón-Rincón was sentenced to life in prison earlier this year on the same charges Zuñiga-Hernandez, Nino-Duenes and Arizmendi-Hernandez are now facing. 

Increased Security around the trial
Rincón-Rincón’s sentence was enhanced because he used rocket launchers, grenades, homemade cannons and automatic weapons during his drug smuggling operations, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas. Nino-Duenes’ sentence was also enhanced. According to the USAO, Southern District of Texas, Nino-Duenes was a member of the Gulf Cartel for three years before his arrest and worked as an enforcer for Zuñiga-Hernandez. 

The federal government also presented evidence that Nino-Duenes joined the prison gang known as the Partido Revolutionario Mejicano while incarcerated and attempted to intimidate a witness. 

At sentencing, Nino-Duenes argued that he didn’t join the prison gang and said federal sentencing guidelines called for less than two years in prison. However, U.S. District Judge Hilda Tagle indicated the court would issue a non-guideline sentence because of the man fled from a gun battle in Mexico, which she called spillover violence. Nino-Duenes pleaded not guilty to the new charges and is being held without bail after the court ruled he was a flight risk.

 mreagan@brownsvilleherald.com, ,
 Monitor, Brownsville Herald, Monitor

17 comments:

  1. Boy, he was a regular choir boy but you know he was coerced and all.

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  2. stop complaining and just do your time rat !!

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  3. I think these guys just seem like complete dregs. Just so ya know!

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  4. I know they r bad, but when friends of mine r stopped by the Gulf. They leave them lone. Good Pr for the gulf. i do not go to matamores anymore because I have no$$$$$$$$$$ to pay my way out. If the cardels would just leave us alone. we r working and not causing problems

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  5. 7 yrs for wicho slap in the hand. There's the USA gave this scumbag a 2nd chance. Too bad snitches are a dying breed.

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  6. Its being boring..on bb lately

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  7. Boy, he was just a low life parasite but you know parasites need to be eradicated and all.

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    1. Leave him alone! the narcs are fattening the pigs for the us and Mexican police to show some work done,it's a way to protect the great big sicarios and their big bad bosses...

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  8. @October 21, 2013 at 1:03 PM

    You wouldn't try to do everything to reduce sentence? Idiot.

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  9. Can't wait for more details. It took a century or more before The Italian Mafia got it's first snitch. Seems like most of these Mexican Cartel members live by the code,"Whoever snitches first gets the best deal." Especially when they get caught in the US or extradited here. No honor among drug dealers,murdering whack jobs. I like it!! Once. again I say...."Bring in the CLOWNS." They appear to get the job done.

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  10. @October 22, 2013 at 5:59 AM

    True that. Clowns change but circus goes on.

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  11. Lol it's funny the higher up the chain the drug dealer is the more chins he has ahahah what a fatty I guess cardio isn't part of drug dealing hahaah buy a treadmill u losers

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  12. witcho was a thug who also thought he dealt drugs. he would rob and extort
    people which heated up matamoros plaza. the CDG wanted him gone.
    thats why he ratted on everyone. CDG took his so called power away. he has nothing left!

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  13. Wicho has a face of a raper and drunky basteerd mexican hilly billy I must say....

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  14. Youll hate on him now but when he was commanding control you wouldn't dare say shit right???? So who's the panochudo puro control tamps putito

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  15. Este wey es el que cantaba con Los Duendes de Control, Tamaulipas.

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  16. Puro control tamps the xw people still protecting cdg plazas all over tamps using the same school comandante wicho taught respect before anything loyalty and always be humble...

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