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Wednesday, January 25, 2023

"El Grande's" Testimony Concludes in Genaro Garcia Luna's Trial

 "Socalj" for Borderland Beat


On the second day of testimony against Genaro Garcia Luna, "El Grande" testified about the war between the Beltrán Leyvas and the Chapo/Mayo faction of the Sinaloa Cartel starting in 2008. He also spoke of the operation to kidnap Garcia Luna.


The Kidnapping of Garcia Luna  

After the split between the BLO and Sinaloa Cartel, the two factions began a bloody war. Shortly after the arrest of Alfredo Beltrán Leyva "El Mochomo", his brother Arturo Beltrán Leyva suspected Luna of working with Mayo, Chapo, El Azul, and Nacho. So, kidnapped García Luna to prove "nothing is impossible." "García Luna had stopped answering Arturo's calls, even those made through Luis Cárdenas Palomino, his right arm within the Ministry of Public Security," said "El Grande"


"El Grande" was put in charge of the plan to intercept Luna's convoy. Arturo specified that he wanted zero bloodshed. A checkpoint was set up of around 10 armored vehicles with "El Grande" stepping into the middle of the road as Luna's armed escort of around 27 agents came into the area in order to show that their intent was not to attack the official. "They picked him up on a highway in the state of Morelos that goes to Cocoyoc and took him to an office (safe house) to see Arturo," said Villareal Barragán. Luna's escorts were stripped of their weapons and blindfolded for 4 hours. Luna was asked by Arturo who he sided with in the war.

He was then released. Arturo kept bribing him with $1 million monthly payments.



Arturo Recorded Meetings with Mexican Officials

The cross-examination of "El Grande" ended with him revealing that Arturo Beltrán Leyva often made recordings of his meetings with corrupt officials, including "some" with García Luna. But the US government doesn't have these tapes. "That's what Arturo said, I know there were tapes but I never had them in my possession…I never stored them myself."

He also testified about the various arsenal that the cartel had in their possession. There were AK-47s (some gold-plated), AR-15s, and grenade launchers. Some weapons were marked "Property of the US Government." They also had bazookas or "some sort of missiles, but these were Russian-made or came from other countries." Among other supplies that the Sinaloa Cartel would have acquired thanks to García Luna were surveillance cameras, phone call inhibitors, and wiretapping equipment.

Record 20 Ton Cocaine Seizure was Faked

"El Grande" referred to a setup in which the authorities had allegedly intercepted 20 [26] tons of cocaine in the Port of Manzanillo and which belonged to Arturo Beltrán Leyva. However, the cocaine was a mixture of sugar, flour, acetone, ether, and anise to make it shine. Police and marines discovered the drugs in 2007 in a cargo container aboard the Hong Kong-flagged ship Esmeralda, which sailed from Buenaventura, Colombia. Initially, they stated that 12 tons were discovered, but an additional 14 were found a total of 26 tons of "cocaine."

Cocaine was found in more than 21,000 packages and authorities were still searching for more drugs.

Mexico's government called it the largest drug seizure in the country's history. It is possible that the cocaine was real and swapped for fake cocaine, however according to official versions, soldiers guarded the containers for several days after the catch and no one was seen entering the area. The cocaine could have been fake from the start in order to give Mexican authorities a big bust and headlines without sacrificing any real product.

Truce Between Los Zetas & Sinaloa Didn't Include "El Chapo"

A truce meeting between cartel leaders in 2006 was described. The leaders of Los Zetas were present, along with the Sinaloa Cartel bosses, with one notable exclusion, El Chapo. The leaders split up the territory. "We reduced crime…everything was calm," stated Grande. But that truce lasted less than a year.

Grande testified that he tried to kill the later Los Zetas leader "Z-40" Miguel Treviño Morales, who he believed was responsible for the kidnapping of his brother and murdering his brother-in-law. "The truth is, I didn't like him," Grande said. He hunted him for years, searching "every day, not just weekends."



Tirso Martinez' Testimony a "Waste of Time"

The next cooperating witness against Genaro García Luna is Tirso Martinez Sanchez "El Futbolista." Tirso was also a witness against El Chapo, testifying about a cocaine route to the US that used railroad train cars. He claims that he smuggled 50-60 tons worth up to $1 billion. Tirso spoke for almost an hour and a half about how he moved cocaine on trains from Mexico City to Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York, but everything would have happened between 1997 and 2001, that is, in a period unrelated to that of García Luna.

Tirso Martinez pioneered smuggling cocaine by rail into the US.

The prosecution told the judge that in the early 2000s Tirso's boss offered to introduce him to García Luna as someone friendly with the cartel, but it is unclear whether that meeting ever actually happened.
Tirso was asked by the prosecution about his history of alcohol and cocaine use. His story on why he quit drugs for a time around the year 2000: "There was one time at the cockfight arena when I got really drunk and started kissing a friend of mine's wife."

Tirso was nicknamed "El Futbolista." as he owned several soccer teams in Mexico. They included: 

Los Venados de Yucatan was bought for around $600-700,000. La Piedad was bought for $2.2 million and sold in 2004 for $10 million. The Mexican soccer federation bought him out completely in 2006 for $10 million after discovering his identity as a trafficker.


Tirso testified in "El Chapo's" trial but is being restricted in his testimony here.

Judge Cogan has granted the defense motion to block some of the testimony by prosecution witness Tirso Martínez against García Luna, calling it "a sideshow and waste of time." "The Court is not going to allow the jury to hear what amounts to a rumor of defendant's guilt" the Judge stated.

Sources Keegan Hamilton, Proceso, La Silla Rota, ProcesoDeseret

25 comments:

  1. Luna might get lucky remember 'perro no come perro'

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  2. I was hoping that the details of Lunas kidnap would come out in this trial, but I'm surprised it came so early. There was a few days at the start of that war where lines were drawn and everybody had to pick a side, and if phones were turned off it was a message in itself. (So many people were killed just because they turned off their phones for their Chapo or Arturo contact). It isn't surprising that the tapes of Arturo and Hector dealing with Luna or his cronies no longer exist either, though I'm really hoping that when Barbie testifies he's going to drop his pants and pull a USB stick out of his ass, and Luna's gonna faint.

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    Replies
    1. Your a weirdo you carry USB sticks, in your privates.🤣

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    2. You really have no fucking sense of humor I thought that was very funny by the way break my legs

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    3. @1.26. Its the safest place for everything. You laugh now, but when you get your bike robbed off you on the street I'll be waddling past grinning, very uncomfortable but happy knowing my bike is safe.

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  3. As I understood, the 20 tons was real

    but they made an arrangement to take back the 20 tons, and give the authorities the fake kilos, so they could have the seizure press

    including laminate to make it shine LOL

    I remember that seizure being covered, people were saying it would disrupt the supply chain!

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    Replies
    1. Weren't those 20-26 tons CDJ? Also if I remember correctly, the articles of La Vaca mentioned that he was a CDJ operator in Colima. I write this since Chapo was already at war with Viceroy when the seizure happened. RCF was killed in 2004, El Pollo in the end of 2005 and El Mochomo in the beginning of 2008.

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    2. As I understood it was Beltran Leyva shipment

      Probably split between them and Mayos/Chapos

      There was an Amado Carillio load that went underwater lol

      I remember from Chapo's trial testimony how they recovered it

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  4. We need a movie or series on Arturo.

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  5. Is it safe to say, GGL abduction got Arturo killed?

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    Replies
    1. 521 maybe that was GGL retaliation

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    2. He had to pick a side reason Arturo got smoke was because he was violent and during that last year he got extremely violent because of the abuse of cocaine just wanted to party and do drugs he thought he was invisible but he was actually out of his mine going for revenge and ordering hits left and right he even wanted to kill close associates in his high of coke

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    3. That's the fairytale reason. It's much more complex than just booze and cocaína bub @6:24

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    4. @3,03 I think it was that, the murder of Edgar Millan, and the mantas he was leaving whining about the deals he'd made with authorities that were being broken, which the US and European media started covering. No trafficker ever survived exposing backroom deals in public.

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  6. Having incriminating tapes can put money in your bank account and keep you out of jail.

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  7. LA EME leaders detained in TJ

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  8. see only the Sinaloa cartel is capable of moving tons of cocaine

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  9. Chapo was a straight Z hater from begining.

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  10. Snitches shouldn't be allowed to be used in court cause obviously if did deal with gov they gonna say anything gov wants.

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    Replies
    1. 2:30
      Not really in America, background check is done, to compare if the witness is telling the truth, it's Mexico Court, with curupt judges.

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    2. 2:30 i agree and most of CDS members would be in jail serving 30 to life sentences, all of mayos would be in jail thats for sure

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  11. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  12. Heh, that kidnapping scene was portrayed in the "El Chapo" TV series, although, of course, "for dramatic purposes" Beltran kills Luna's assistant in the scene, to show that he's serious.

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  13. “El Grande”, keeping true to his Alias as he has been giving “Grande” information and cooperation since his US arrival. Good for him.

    ReplyDelete

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