Chino Antrax: What happened, the social media buzz and the missing mole

Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat

There is much speculation and theories as to what happened leading up to the death of José Rodrigo Aréchiga Gamboa, alias "El Chino Ántrax, his sister, Jimena Aréchiga Gamboa and her husband named Juan Garcia. 

The story broke overnight Friday to Saturday the headline being “The Sister of Chino Antrax kidnapped and killed”.  The early information reported that along with her were two unidentified men. 

On Borderland Beat commenters immediately began saying “RIP Chino”.  However Mexican mainstream media was crickets, much more so than typically. 

But social media was on fire.

Photos were released revealing 3 bodies inside a BMW X5 SUV registered in Jimena’s name.  Only one of the bodies was “encobijado” wrapped in black plastic and a thick printed blanket and secured by cinnamon tape at the feet, mid body and neck.

The other bodies were fully clothed.

Jimena was confirmed as being one of the bodies but the other two were only identified as being male.

Videos were uploaded to social media platforms depicting a home in Culiacán with a considerable quantity of bullet impacts in the aftermath of a fierce shooting.  The home was reported belonging to Jimena, other reports said it was rented for a party by Jimena.

Early evening, I reached out to sources in the U.S. for a confirmation of Chino’s death.  Around 5:30 I was given the “It’s him”.  Also, that they confirmed ID via photographic comparisons, and they were waiting for an additional ID process before announcing the death.  This is the U.S. identifying the corpse.  Mexico was doing its own identification process.

I chose sources in the U.S. for obvious reasons.  I will just say, remember Chayo?  Nazario Moreno González? Died three times?

My source asked that I wait before posting the confirmation or until there was a second confirmation.  The second confirmation came so I posted the death on forum, then twitter and main board.

What and why?

We may never know exactly but corridos, journalists and narcos will all put their spin on the story but unless the U.S. wants to weigh in with what they know transpired in the U.S. well…we may have to wonder forever.

Chino Antrax died exactly one month before his 40^th birthday. He was the leader and the founder of Los Ántrax, an armed wing created to protect and work under the direction of Ismael Mayo Zambada.

By all accounts Mayo, the premier leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, was very close to Chino.  A friendship that began in Culiacán when Chino was a child and became close friends with other kids in the neighborhood, the children of El Mayo.  It is thought that that close relationship is what drove Chino to joining CDS. 

Morena party Sinaloa congressman Ocadio Garcia Espinosa is reportedly the brother of 

Juan Garcia,  husband of Chino's sister and ID'd as one of the three bodies in the SUV

And he had choices.  His family are successful people in their own right.  All except Chino chose to acquire a university degree, likewise his parents both have Master Degrees.  The family is considered affluent. 

The majority of narcos do not have many choices.  Especially those bottom layer of foot soldiers one sees with dismembered, bloody or broken bodies in the aftermath of a confrontation.  Many are “Nini’s”, no schooling, no hope of employment.  Ninis are 18 to  24 years of age who live in a big city and didn't finish school.

Cartels know the vulnerability of these young people and capitalize on it. For ninis, joining a cartel gives a sense of belonging in a world that they perceive is hopeless and unaccepting.  This is not an excuse for criminality, but it goes to a reason why young people choose the life.

Chino was not a nini.  He had choices in life. 

Chino was arrested on December 30, 2013 at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.  The U.S. had a warrant for his arrest through Interpol.

The United States identified Chino through DNA, necessary because he not only was travelling via a fake name and documents, but had  undergone plastic surgery to change his appearance, and altered his finger prints. That would explain the missing mole.

Yuriana Castillo Torres

While Chino was incarcerated in Amsterdam Yuriana Castillo Torres, the mother of his child was abducted as she pulled into a parking area at the gym where she worked out.

As she was exiting the vehicle another vehicle arrived  and witnesses say they tried to get her to go with them, she put up a fight causing them to become physical, she was eventually dragged to the waiting vehicle, losing her shoe in the process.

The next day they found her body in a vacant lot wrapped in a white sheet, she had signs of torture, and was bound by cords on her feet and hands she died from a broken, she was 23.

At her memorial a large floral arrangement arrive with a card signed with the name of Chino.

Six months later in July of 2014 he was extradited to San Diego California, to face charges of drug trafficking and related charges, he was facing a potential life sentences if convicted of his crimes.

In May 20 of 2015 he entered a change of plea and entered into an agreement.  He  was given 87 months and 5 years supervised release.  On March 3 of this year he was released and settled in San Diego. 

Two months later his PO arrived at Chino’s residence and found him gone as well as all his belongings…except his cell phone.

A little over a week later is dead body was discovered in a BMW SUV along with that of his sister and allegedly his brother in law.

Mexico still identifying the corpse

Federal government officials reported that the Sinaloa State Attorney General's Office requested the support of the FGR, so that specialized experts can;  "identify if one of the three people found dead on a Culiacán highway is José Rodrigo Aréchiga.”

Rumors abound

FROM DEA: “In his plea agreement, Arechiga-Gamboa admitted that the Sinaloa Cartel uses violence and threats to intimidate rival cartels, and that he himself was “a direct participant in, and communicated to other members of the Sinaloa Cartel, orders to commit acts of violence or threats of violence.”  The Sinaloa Cartel operates across multiple continents and countries, importing large quantities of narcotics into Mexico from Asia and Central and South American countries including Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras and Guatemala.”

All of Chino’s sentencing documents have always been sealed.  I checked the government website today and they remain sealed.

Only conjecture can be used at this point.  However, in order for a defendant to go from a potential life sentence, to the sweet deal he ultimately was given. 

He never testified in court.  Therefore, we remain wondering just what was given up from him in exchange.

One can imagine Chapitos, sons of El Chapo, who allegedly hated Chino and even Mayo were asking themselves the same thing.

Some narco blogs were uploading a video which was supposedly that of a welcome home party given in Chino’s honor by CDS sicarios.

A big question is why he would go back to Culiacan in the first place.  It makes sense that he would reach out to, either directly or by representative, to El Mayo.  It also makes sense he must have received assurances of protection.

And it is logical to think after the assurances he was set up and handed over for execution.

In this theory that would be by El Mayo, and Mayo must have been sure he had been betrayed. And what a monumental betrayal that would be.

On Social media there is wild speculation that Chino was implanted with a GPS chip and sent to Mexico to work under cover.  In exchange for his deal.

I shook my head thinking that is absurd.

But the one thing that keeps popping in my head is, how could he be so arrogant to think he could return to Culiacán and he would be fine, no problem, just go on with life, open an IG, lose some weight become player 2.0? 

That in of itself is mind-boggling.

Confirmado...☠️🙏 QEPD pic.twitter.com/AjDWLT0RL5

— R-R (@pokerch1p) May 17, 2020

US v Chino Anthrax Plea-C.m... by Chivis Martinez on Scribd