Subject Matter: El Chuy Raul, Jesús Raúl Beltrán León
Recommendation: No prior subject matter knowledge required
Reporter: Carlos Alvarez
US federal judge Rubén Castillo ruled Tuesday that Mexican citizen Jesús Raúl Beltrán León, alias "El Chuy Raúl" or "Trebol," can not contest drug trafficking charges in Chicago, Illinois, on the basis that elements of the Secretary of the Navy (Semar) tortured him in the presence of agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA, for its acronym in English), when he was arrested in Culiacán, Sinaloa, in November 2014.
Alias "El Chuy Raúl" or "Trebol" was an alleged bodyguard and lieutenant of Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, alias "El Alfredillo", son of Sinaloa capo Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera, "El Chapo".
The US federal judge said that his ruling should not be interpreted as condoning torture, but that these accusations could be settled in a civil court. Alias "El Chuy Raúl" or " El Trebol" was a presumed member of the Sinaloa Cartel, and was extradited from Mexico in January 2017, accused of drug trafficking and money laundering crimes.
On December 6, the same US federal judge granted two months to the Federal District Attorney of the Northern District of Illinois, to respond to the case alias "El Chuy Raúl" or " El Trebol," who according to his lawyer, Stephen Ralls , had confessed to crimes through torture, in the presence of DEA officials.
Castillo, who at that time considered the accusations "very serious", demanded to know at the latest in February, whether Beltrán León - who is a US citizen and was arrested in Mexico at the request of the federal authorities of that country - if the torture, and if any official of the US Government or any other person was present physically "acting as a free agent".
The lawyer of the alleged drug trafficker, asked in a document of 26 pages that the judge annul the confession, since he maintained that the rights to the detainee were not read to him, as it is obligatory whenever they American police agents act as part of a "joint venture" "
In addition, the litigant said that the use of torture, physical, psychological or other type of brutality may yield evidence that "can not be admitted, and that may result in the annulment of the entire case."
According to his lawyer, Beltrán León, 33 years old, was captured in his parents' house, without a court order, on November 16, 2014, in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico, by Semar elements, they took his wife and a baby, their daughter, to whom they threatened to kill.
The detainee was allegedly beaten, electrocuted, and drowned, with a plastic bag on his head, inside a container with water. He was also blindfolded and whipped with a kind of whip. In all of this, which lasted more than an hour, federal agents from the United States would have participated, one of whom would have interrogated him in Spanish and admitted that he worked for the DEA.
In the document presented by the lawyer, Beltrán León also stated that, at a certain moment, a woman from the Embassy of the United States visited him briefly, and during that visit, he told her about the physical and psychological torture to which he had been subjected. "In response, the woman indicated that 'they were recording' and that 'there was nothing she could do to help'."
After the alleged denunciations, Beltrán León admitted in a video that he loaded a plane with drugs that traveled to the United States and that belonged to the sons of Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera, alias "El Chapo": Jesús Alfredo and Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, of whom the officers who tortured him, demanded to know the location of both, which he denied knowing.
Public documents of the accusation of the US Department of Justice against Beltrán León, said that Chicago prosecutors place him as brother-in-law of Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, alias "El Alfredillo", for whom he allegedly served as lieutenant and bodyguard.
This was while carrying out drug trafficking activities through the common border and money laundering of profits, according to the indictment of the Federal District Attorney's Office of the Northern District of Illinois, which also filed charges against "El Chapo", "El Alfredillo " and six other members of the Sinaloa Cartel.
In addition, according to reports from the Mexican Federal Police, "El Chuy Raúl" is the son of Jesús Raúl Beltrán Uriarte, alias "El Tío", who was arrested in Zapopan, Jalisco, in 2007, supposed to be a compadre and one of the main operators of " El Chapo "Guzmán.
The US government accuses Beltran Leon of trafficking from Mexico large amounts of cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamine, for distribution in several cities, as well as to collect the profits and transfer them to that country through money laundering.
I wonder if Alfredillo is Fredo and Ivan is Michael Corleone, or is it the other way around.The way they were raised to be spoiled rich kid's of a narco like Chapo makes me think otherwise.
ReplyDelete2:46 you will have to wait for the movie, no?
DeleteWhy say torture belongs in a civil court when it is grounds for dismissal in the criminal court of Castillo?
ReplyDeleteTo keep alive the criminal case against an AMERICAN CITIZEN?
Oh, I see, Mexican American Citizens are worthless second class.
There is a whole section of law called “Tort” , which deals with injuries, harm etc, this is what the Judge is alluding to.
DeleteHis chances of getting criminal charges against his torturers are nil. Hence he can seek remedy in a civil case under tort law.
I think he wants to sue for dismissal due to the torture and to the participation of DEA as witnesses while the judge is trying to make mincemeat of him by separating the ugly torture side from his wholesome case in his beautiful court.
DeleteThat right Otis . He is alleging they torted him . His allegations could be more successful as a civil case because it don't have to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt . Its just the heaviest side of the scales than wins .
Delete5:47 . man you seem to be on every post playing the race card . Dude you must be walking around with some kind of paranoia complex . Bet you a quarter to a nickel the agents were Mexican American also .
@8:49 you can’t sue for a dismissal, you can motion for a dismissal. Criminal cases are based on old maritime law, hence you stand in a “dock”, and you make a motion as ships are in motion on the sea.
Delete9:13 believe it or not, racism is not in my heart or my mind, but I have seen judges protecting their cases for some prostituters some just to send help to Private Prison Industries, with convicted judges and all, all whites...
DeleteOtis, Thanks for that information about maritime law, I never knew that!
DeleteBTW, is it possible for the defendant to claim the confession was coerced under duress, therefore rendering it invalid? Kind of like what that kid is going for the Making a Murderer docu( Brandon Dassey).
If the confession was coerced or not, matters not at all to the USA courts. It happened in Mexico, by Mexican authorities and that is not part of USA due process.
DeleteThe confession he made had nothing to do with the drug trafficking charges against him. The confession he made led to his extradition, since he is now in the USA, its too late. As a US citizen, he would not be successful in a suit to nullify the extradition and be returned to Mexico. The only way he could do this is if the extradition request by the USA was not submitted correctly according to international law and the extradition agreement between Mexico and the USA
His Lawyers would know this.
I dont understand why they blurr his face
ReplyDeleteIts the retarded law. They release his name and employment but still blur the friggn face!
Delete6:45 pa que no te enamores de él.
DeleteWait a secound, this high ranking Cartel member, sits in a cage, he had many people killed. And because he was caught, and waterboarded, he wants to be let free??? Give me a break, it's a US judge, not a Mexican judge.
ReplyDeleteUS judges would be quicker to dismiss because of illegal interrogations and torture if there were not other thingies tipping the scales.
Delete@8:55 But Mexican judges are a lot cheaper.
DeleteThis guy has one hell of a Sinaloa pedigree; related to los Beltran, los Uriarte, los Guzman, y los Salazar.
ReplyDeleteLol, you’ve been listening to too many corridos pal
DeleteYup he sure has been listening to many
Delete7:37 I am sure he is your Aunt, keep digging.
Delete@8:35 It is funny you say that. I saw the Dateline special on the DEA agent who tracked El Chapo. In one part he said another undercover agent took him to a bar to listen to the Corridos for information. I wonder why if they reportedly contain so many false claims
DeleteThe US federal judge said that his ruling should not be interpreted as condoning torture, but that these accusations could be settled in a civil court.
ReplyDeleteIn other words, Mr. Leon, A U.S. Citizen, tortured by a foreign military, in the presence of U.S. Federal Agents, will be filing a civil case against the DEA. Sound familiar?
Will be settled out of court. Good job DEA...
The DEA agents only observed,
Deletethey did not torture the American Citizen, the Mexican cuicos did, Sue in mexico?
The point is guy gonna get railroaded and the kangaroo court will NOT help his ass one bit, But the law is clear, evidence obtained illegally is no evidence.
@9:02 This is true, however most people don’t realize the evidence was obtained illegally. You’d be amazed at how many illegal search and seizure cases could be made for traffic stops resulting in confiscations. But taking it to the box is a scary thought for most folks.
DeleteAll the crimes he did, including killing and torture innocent persons. And now he wants to be set free, because his rights were not read? What a bafoon.
ReplyDeleteAgree!
DeleteWhy shouldn’t the same methods used to torture his rivals not be used on him? It’s not like he tickled his victims into confessing
information!
I agree too, that MF should get the same fate, as the people he killed, he is testing the US law in his favor. Over in the USA he cannot bribe a judge. Also it would have been great, that they should have electro to his testes, with alligator clips.
DeleteSince he is accusing the DEA of being present the burden of proof lies with him and his lawyer(s). They can demand information from the prosecutor, who is required to provide it, but have fun finding evidence that a representative of the US government was there during his torture. Even if the State department was there and recorded a conversation with him it doesn't prove an agent of the US government was present during torture or arrest. The fact that a document was presented by his lawyer means nothing, it's hearsay without the recording that Beltran Leon says occurred (again, required to be provided by the prosecutor if it exists). It'd be like providing an alibi without proof you were where you said you were.
ReplyDeleteOnce arrested/captured by SEMAR they can do whatever the heck they want before turning him over to the US, and we aren't responsible for their actions. That would have been up to the Mexican judge that allowed his extradition.
KB
The CIA was present for Kiki Camarena's enhanced interrogations, recordings were provided to the US government by DEA agents investigating and nothing helped, I imagine nobody is safe,
DeleteCharles Horman was just tortured and executed in Chile, and US Navy and CIA would not help...
Priests and nuns in El Salvador and Argentina were not safe, much less a Mexican American narco.
Hey Otis, have you looked into whats going on in chihuahua? Seems to be alot of hits on police.
ReplyDeleteYes not only Chihuahua but all over Mexico. This generally happens before a general election. The new incoming politicians will have negotiated with the narcos for their protection, and the people with whom they no longer have agreements are killed to prevent them saying anything.
DeleteA public hanging, is what he deserves, wait its not the 1700s, ok lethal injection.
ReplyDeleteI lost all respect to the mexican marines since the DEA agent who was key figured to capture El chapo was let in Mexico arm and wearing Mexican marine uniforms SMH this noobs can't captured anybody without the help of the US
ReplyDeleteSMH noobs , you mean boobs, what you call them noobs, who captured who. Not to worry, Chapo is in prison.
DeleteDamn if they do and damn if they don't. @5:16 Stop being so negative.
DeleteSorry fellow, no free pass to freedom.
ReplyDeleteSon of el doctor veterinario from Batopitos Badiraguato Sinaloa. His pop dime some time in Mexico prison but he's out now.
ReplyDelete