1999 Matamoros standoff

Standoff in Matamoros, Mexico December 2019 1999 Matamoros standoff File:Tamaulipas en México.svg State of Tamaulipas in Mexico 9 November 19992:30 p.m. (approximately) Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico * Spying on Gulf Cartel properties * Capture of Gulf Cartel informant Intimidate the two U.S. agents Armed standoff * U.S. agents and informant allowed to return to Brownsville, Texas, U.S. Major law enforcement efforts against the Gulf Cartel and its leaders * Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Policia Federal Preventiva *Gulf Cartel Matamoros Municipal Police (suspected) Tamaulipas State Police (suspected) Joe DuBois (DEA)Daniel Fuentes (FBI) Osiel Cárdenas Guillén 3 ≈15 0 0 On 9 November 1999, two agents from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were threatened at gunpoint and nearly killed in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, by gunmen of the Gulf Cartel, a criminal group based in the area. The two agents traveled to Matamoros with an informant to gather intelligence on the operations of the Gulf Cartel. As they cruised through one of the properties owned by the criminal group, they noticed several vehicles following them. The agents were forced to a stop and were corralled by a convoy of eight vehicles, from which 15 gunmen emerged and surrounded the agents' car. Some of them wore uniforms of the local police. Among the gunmen was the former kingpin Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, who recognized the informant and ordered the three of them to get out of their vehicle. Fearing torture and interrogation, the agents agreed they would not allow the Gulf Cartel to take them alive. They decided their best chance of survival was to talk their way out of the incident. The agents repeatedly refused to comply with Cárdenas Guillén's orders and tried to reason with him that killing U.S. federal agents would result in a massive manhunt by the U.S. government. The incident escalated; profanities were exchanged and the gunmen prepared to shoot but Cárdenas Guillén ordered them to hold fire. One of the agents had a concealed handgun next to his thigh and was planning to kill Cárdenas Guillén if the gunmen opened fire. After 20 minutes, Cárdenas Guillén allowed the agents and the informant to return to Brownsville, Texas, U.S., and threatened to kill them if they ever returned. The standoff triggered a massive law enforcement effort to crack down on the leadership structure of the Gulf Cartel. Cárdenas Guillén, who was previously regarded as a minor player in the international drug trade, became one of the most-wanted criminals in the world. The FBI and the DEA mounted numerous charges against him and issued a US$2 million bounty for his arrest. He was arrested in 2003 and extradited to the U.S. in 2007, where he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for drug trafficking, money laundering, and assaulting U.S. federal agents. He was also ordered to forfeit US$50 million, a small portion of what U.S. authorities believe he made in the Gulf Cartel. Several Gulf Cartel members involved in the standoff were also eventually arrested and convicted. Background The Gulf Cartel, a drug cartel based in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, was founded in the 1930s by Juan Nepomuceno Guerra.Correa-Cabrera 2017 267 It initially smuggled alcohol and other illegal goods into the U.S. but grew significantly in the 1970s under the leadership of kingpin Juan García Ábrego. By forming alliances with Colombian drug traffickers, García Ábrego coordinated marijuana and cocaine shipments into the U.S. and helped consolidate the Gulf Cartel as a multibillion-dollar criminal enterprise. In 1996, he was arrested and extradited to the U.S., where he was sentenced to eleven life sentences. Without a clear leadership, the Gulf Cartel underwent internal strife. Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, a low-level drug dealer, rose through the ranks of the cartel as other leaders were arrested or killed in the infighting. In mid-1999, Cárdenas Guillén ordered the murder of his friend Salvador Gómez Herrera (alias "El Chava"), the last man in line in the Gulf Cartel's leadership structure. With Gómez Herrera's death, Cárdenas Guillén consolidated himself as the top leader of the Gulf Cartel. To protect himself from rival gangsters and security forces, Cárdenas Guillén formed a private army known as Los Zetas, which consisted of former military officials.Grillo 2012 95–98 Unlike García Ábrego, Cárdenas Guillén did not enjoy the same level of protection and favoritism from government networks, and consolidated his power through the use of violence.Correa-Cabrera 2017 21–23 Previous operations In August 1996, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) launched an anti-drug investigation known as Operation Limelight that initially targeted Mexico's Juárez Cartel and Amado Carrillo Fuentes. During the operation's second phase dubbed Operation Impunity I in January 1998, the DEA focused on the Juárez Cartel's drug corridors in Tamaulipas and South Texas, where the Gulf Cartel was based. The DEA suspected Cárdenas Guillén was the leading crime figure in the Matamoros corridor and was working closely with the Juárez Cartel. In 1998, the DEA opened an investigation known as Operation Cazadores with the intention of arresting him. Undercover agents met Cárdenas Guillén in person at least twice. On 9 June 1999,Another stated that the assault occurred in May 1999. Cárdenas Guillén threatened to kill Abraham Rodríguez,Gutiérrez 2007 358–365 an undercover Cameron County Sheriff's Office investigator working with the U.S. Customs Service in Brownsville. The undercover agent refused to deliver a 988 kg on load of marijuana on behalf of the Gulf Cartel. left|150px|thumb|Logo of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which began operations against the Gulf Cartel The Mexican and U.S. governments signed an agreement in 1998 prohibiting undercover work by U.S. officials in Mexican territory without the explicit approval and supervision of the Mexican government. Until then, most of the undercover operations in Mexico were often conducted by U.S. officials without the authorization or knowledge of the Mexican government. The agreement did not instruct U.S. officials how they should defend themselves when facing threats. One anonymous U.S. official confirmed the agents were armed during the standoff, although he stated that they never flashed or used their weapons. Other U.S. officials refused to comment on whether or not the agents were armed during the standoff. When the standoff occurred, it was illegal for the U.S. officials to conduct law enforcement operations or carry their firearms into Mexico. In 1998, Juan Raúl Bermúdez Núñez, a journalist from El Diario de Matamoros who accompanied the two agents in Matamoros, became an informant for the DEA and the FBI.He was also referred to by his code name José Luis and Tiburcio. He contacted the agencies and asked them to help him become a protected witness. Bermúdez Núñez had interviewed Cárdenas Guillén at his newspaper offices a few months before the standoff; in the interview, Cárdenas Guillén said he was the leader of the Gulf Cartel and threatened to kill Bermúdez Núñez. The journalist also wrote an article describing Cárdenas Guillén's ordering of the killing of Gómez Herrera. After the interview was published, Cárdenas Guillén gained the nickname "El Mata Amigos" (The Friend Killer). The Gulf Cartel had tried to bribe Bermúdez Núñez multiple times to prevent him from releasing articles about its organized crime activities.Pérez 2016 112–116 According to Bermúdez Núñez, the head representative of the newspaper, Mario Díaz, met with Cárdenas Guillén, his lawyer Galo Gaspar Pérez Canales, and Gulf Cartel member Víctor Manuel Vázquez Mireles to discuss bribery payments. They offered the newspaper US$500 a month to stop publishing about the Gulf Cartel. Bermúdez Núñez said he never accepted their money.Pérez 2016 112–116 In October 1999, a month before the standoff, federal agents confirmed the links between the Juárez Cartel and the Gulf Cartel, and extended their law enforcement efforts to both groups under Operation Impunity II, the third phase of Operation Limelight. Most of the operation's focus was in the border cities Reynosa and Matamoros, where the Gulf Cartel had a stronghold. They confirmed that Cárdenas Guillén had united remnants of the Carrillo Fuentes' organization and those who once reported to former Gulf Cartel leader García Ábrego. Operation Cazadores continued mostly as an undercover operation against Cárdenas Guillén; it included support from the U.S. Customs Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the DEA, the Cameron County Sheriff's Office, the Brownsville Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and Mexico's Attorney General's Office (PGR). Standoff At around 2:30p.m. on 9 November 1999, DEA and FBI agents Joe DuBois and Daniel Fuentes traveled to Matamoros to gather intelligence on the operations of the Gulf Cartel. DuBois was based in the DEA office at the Consulate General of the United States in Monterrey, Nuevo León, and Fuentes worked at the DEA offices in Houston, Texas. They picked up their informant and collaborator, Bermúdez Núñez, at a restaurant close to the Gateway International Bridge. The agents drove a white Ford Bronco bearing diplomatic plates through the streets of Matamoros. The informant gave the two agents a tour of the houses where several Gulf Cartel members lived and of the stash houses they used to keep drugs before they were transported to the U.S. They reached La Aurora neighborhood, where Cárdenas Guillén lived, and tried to take pictures of his pink-colored mansion. Within moments, they noticed a Lincoln Continental, which was followed by a second vehicle, following them. The agents called the DEA offices in Houston using their mobile telephone and asked them to investigate the Texan license plates of a cherry-red Explorer, one of the vehicles that was following them. The DEA confirmed the vehicle was stolen. The persecution continued in Matamoros' streets but the agents' car was cut off by three vehicles and forced to stop. Within moments, they were surrounded by a caravan of eight vehicles. thumb|right|Location of Matamoros, Tamaulipas (red spot) within Mexico According to the federal agents, up to fifteen Gulf Cartel gunmen carrying AK-47s, AR-15s, and .45-caliber pistols left their vehicles and surrounded the agents. Some of them wore police uniforms, and the agents suspected that several of the gunmen were from the Matamoros Municipal Police or the Tamaulipas State Police. The incident occurred a few blocks away from the city's police station.Longmire 2014 19–21 The Gulf Cartel blockaded the road on which the agents were corralled while other men in police uniforms helped direct traffic in another direction. The agents tried asking Tamaulipas State Police commander Gilberto García Garza through their cellphone to call for backup, but they claimed the commander took no action even though he was reportedly monitoring the incident over the telephone.According to the informant, Gilberto García Garza may have also been on the Gulf Cartel's payroll. The commander worked under police chief Pedro Hernández Quiroga, who was arrested in 2010 for providing armed protection to the Gulf Cartel. DuBois and Fuentes recognized they were outnumbered and surrounded; they briefly discussed the situation and agreed they would not allow the Gulf Cartel to kidnap them. "[Fuentes] and I decided, if we are going to die, we are going to die here", DuBois said in an interview. Both agents made this decision after considering their options and recognizing they would likely be kidnapped, tortured, and interrogated before being killed. "I knew what they'd do to me. I'd seen many pictures of the bodies [the Gulf Cartel] leave behind", DuBois said. They decided the only viable option was to try to talk their way out of the incident. Cárdenas Guillén stepped out of a white Jeep Cherokee and walked towards the agents' car. Cárdenas Guillén had a Colt pistol with a golden grip on his belt and was carrying a gold-plated AK-47. When he got to the car, he recognized the informant and ordered the agents to get out and hand him over. "Get off the car you sons of a bitches. I am going to kill you", Cárdenas Guillén yelled. The agents refused. Fuentes flashed his FBI badge but Cárdenas Guillén began slurring profanities at them and threatened to shoot them if they did not comply. At one point during the heated discussion, Cárdenas Guillén held his weapon to Fuentes' head.Longmire 2014 19–21 When the agents refused to concede, Cárdenas Guillén asked them to surrender the informant only, but the agents refused again. Cárdenas Guillén told the agents he did not care that they were U.S. federal agents, but DuBois told him he would regret his decision for the rest of his life if he decided to hurt them. "I told him, 'Think it over, man. There is no way that you will be able to hide anywhere. [The U.S. government will] come get you'", DuBois said. He reminded Cárdenas Guillén of the manhunt that followed after DEA agent Kiki Camarena was killed by drug traffickers in Mexico in 1985.Organized crime groups in Mexico have traditionally avoided targeting U.S. authorities since the murder of Camarena. The murder set a precedent of the possible wrath that may follow from the U.S. government for targeting their officials. "You are fixing to make 300,000 enemies", DuBois said. The agents employed this strategy because they recognized appeals to morality would not work against Cárdenas Guillén, but appeals to self-preservation would likely persuade him to let them go. DuBois also did this to stand tough against Cárdenas Guillén and his henchmen, but also to prevent Cárdenas Guillén from having to face embarrassment in front of his men. DuBois and Fuentes had a second option in case the gunmen attempted to kill them. Fuentes had a handgun next to his thigh and was planning to kill Cárdenas Guillén if the gunmen decided to shoot them. "Unless they got [Fuentes] in a head shot, [Cárdenas Guillén] was coming with us", DuBois said. The gunmen raised their guns in firing position but Cárdenas Guillén told them to hold fire and allowed the agents and the informant to leave. "You fucking gringos," he yelled. "This is my town, so get the fuck out here before I kill all of you. Don't ever come back", Cárdenas Guillén told them. The gunmen and Cárdenas Guillén returned to their vehicles and the agents headed back to Brownsville, Texas.Pérez 2016 112–116 The gunmen followed the agents to the border. Once in the U.S., they telephoned top government officials from both countries, who were coincidentally in a meeting in Washington D.C. that day. The following day, Cárdenas Guillén celebrated the standoff by hosting a party with his henchmen at a local taco restaurant in Matamoros. Manhunt left|thumb|Wanted poster of Osiel Cárdenas Guillén offering a US$2 million bounty After the standoff, the U.S. government increased its law enforcement efforts to crack down on the leadership of the Gulf Cartel and made significant efforts to apprehend Cárdenas Guillén. Prior to the incident, he was a not regarded as a key player in the organized crime scene but his involvement in the standoff increased his notability. He was eventually placed on the list of the FBI and the DEA ten most-wanted list, and was accused of international drug trafficking and assault. The DEA called the standoff one of the "most serious" incidents in Mexico since the murder of Camarena, and highlighted the vulnerabilities U.S. officials face in Mexico while on duty. They drew similarities with Camarena's murder because several policemen were also believed to have been involved in the standoff. Mexican officials stated that the involvement of the police in the standoff was not confirmed but that they were investigating the incident exhaustively. The DEA stated it was worried about the safety of its agents in Mexico and confirmed the Mexican government was working closely with it to apprehend the perpetrators. Days after the standoff, the DEA purchased several armored vehicles in the U.S. and sent them to Mexico for its agents stationed there.Grayson 2017 10–11 The U.S. government also pressured Mexico to intensify its efforts to apprehend Cárdenas Guillén. Because the agents were nearly killed, the incident created tensions in Mexico–United States relations.Ravelo 2007 244–250 Mexico's attorney general Jorge Madrazo Cuéllar and PGR anti-drug chief Mariano Herrán Salvatti met with the U.S. presidential cabinet hours later and discussed the incident. They did not recognize Cárdenas Guillén's name and asked another PGR anti-drug chief, José Luis Santiago Vasconcelos, for reports on his background. The records they retrieved stated he was a low-level criminal. President Ernesto Zedillo (1994–2000) acted on the U.S.'s request and sent the Mexican Armed Forces to Tamaulipas to apprehend Cárdenas Guillén. They carried out operations in Matamoros, Reynosa, and Nuevo Laredo. Cárdenas Guillén, however, had abandoned Tamaulipas and relocated in the state of Nuevo León with several of his henchmen. He hid in a ranch known as Las Amarrillas in China, Nuevo León. He bought the ranch from Humberto García Ábrego via his lawyer Juan Jesús Guerrero Chapa.Ravelo 2012 184–192 U.S. authorities interviewed Cárdenas Guillén's father, one of his uncles, and his brother Homero Cárdenas Guillén, who they did not suspect was involved in organized crime activities. They eventually were able to wiretap several phone conversations between Cárdenas Guillén and his wife Celia Salinas Aguilar. They concluded in these conversations that Cárdenas Guillén was hiding in Monterrey with his wife and two children: Celia Marlén and Osiel Jr. As the investigation tightened, they discovered his family travelled in a Jetta, BMW, and an X Terra, and identified the schools their kids attended. In their conversations, Cárdenas Guillén warned his wife that the phones they were using were probably wiretapped, and asked her to communicate with him through other lines. U.S. agents also researched Cárdenas Guillén's lovers and discovered that he had an affinity towards Colombian women. They interviewed a Colombian national who was dating him, Andrea Posadas Williamson. She confirmed the drug lord's whereabouts in Mexico City in September 2000.Gómez Fritz 2005 185–190 A week after the standoff, the U.S. government gave Mexico several addresses that were linked to the Gulf Cartel. Mexican authorities carried out several raids in these properties but the information was outdated and the operations did not further the investigation.Gutiérrez 2007 358–365 As the government increased its presence in Tamaulipas, several of Cárdenas Guillén's accomplices went for vacations in several resort areas.Ravelo 2012 184–192 On 31 December 1999, Cárdenas Guillén hosted a party in Cancún with several of his henchmen.Deibert 2014 39–40 By the start of 2000, he refused to visit Matamoros under fear of being arrested. He preferred to stay in Mexico City and made only sporadic trips to Tamaulipas that year. Cárdenas Guillén stayed at multiple hotels throughout the year but eventually grew tired and bought a home in Bosques de las Lomas, Mexico City.Ravelo 2012 184–192 Reaction and identification of suspects On 18 November 1999, DuBois and Fuentes met with a PGR head Héctor Daniel Dávalos Martínez in San Antonio, Texas, and told him what had occurred in the standoff. Dávalos Martínez showed the agents the pictures of several Gulf Cartel members the PGR had on file, and the agents recognized some of them as the perpetrators. Those involved in the standoff were Cárdenas Guillén; Baldomero González Ruiz (alias "El Viejo Fox"); Juan Carlos de la Cruz Reyna (alias "El JC"); Vázquez Mireles (alias "El Meme Loco"); Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sánchez (alias "El Coss"); José Manuel Garza Rendón (alias "La Brocha"); Adán Medrano Rodríguez (alias "El Licenciado"); Rogelio González Pizaña (alias "Z-2"); Alejandro Estévez García; Arturo Meléndez Reta; Saúl González López; Antonio Cárdenas Guillén (alias "Tony Tormenta");Deibert 2014 39–40 Gregorio Sauceda Gamboa (alias "El Caramuelas");Gómez Fritz 2005 185–190 and Rogelio García García (alias "El Roger"). right|thumb|Leadership chart of the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury DuBois also recounted the incident to Kevin C. Whaley, former head of the DEA offices in Houston, telling him the reason they did not leave their vehicle when Cárdenas Guillén ordered them to do so. He told Whaley the agents would likely have been killed if they had done as Cárdenas Guillén asked them. He said he accepted the possibility of his death in the vehicle in front of several eyewitnesses, which DuBois said had deterred the gunmen from killing them. He also stated that their refusal to follow orders confused the gunmen because they rarely have people stand up against them.Gutiérrez 2007 358–365 Bermúdez Núñez also traveled to San Antonio to give his account of the incident and explain what he knew of the Gulf Cartel. He told law enforcement he had known Cárdenas Guillén since 1998, and that he knew the Gulf Cartel was supported by members of the Matamoros Municipal Police and the Tamaulipas State Police. A total of 29 policemen who were collaborating with the Gulf Cartel were mentioned by him; six were from the local police and twenty-three were from the state police force. Bermúdez Núñez also stated that Cárdenas Guillén received support from policemen stationed at General Lucio Blanco International Airport in Reynosa, and that policemen acted as his armed squad to carry out executions on the Gulf Cartel's behalf, and aided its international drug trafficking operations.Gutiérrez 2007 358–365 On 28 July 2000, during the 48th Annual Awards Ceremony of the U.S. Department of Justice, DuBois and Fuentes were recognized by the U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno for their "exceptional heroism".These awards are given to people who make important contributions to law enforcement efforts. The Attorney General's Awards are the highest-ranking awards offered by the department. In the ceremony, Reno highlighted the two agents' calmness and refusal to comply with Cárdenas Guillén's demands to surrender their informant and step out of the vehicle. She stated that the agents reminded Cárdenas Guillén of the consequences of his actions and showed "professionalism and courage" despite being outnumbered and facing life-threatening circumstances. Aftermath Indictments and sanctions To formally build a case around Cárdenas Guillén, the U.S. government filed several indictments against him. His charges dated from 1998 to 2002, and included conspiracy to import cocaine and marijuana to the U.S. from Mexico, money laundering, and assault against U.S. law enforcement. On 14 March 2000, Cárdenas Guillén and several of his aides were indicted by a grand jury of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas in Brownsville; they were charged with two drug trafficking offenses and two assault counts against U.S. law enforcement officers. The first assault charge was for the June 1999 offense against the undercover agent from Cameron County. The second assault charge was for the standoff in Matamoros in November 1999. On 14 December 2000, U.S. Department of State assistant deputy Wendy Chamberlin announced a US$2 million bounty for Cárdenas Guillén, Garza Rendón, and Medrano Rodríguez. This announcement was made alongside an indictment issued in Brownsville charging Cárdenas Guillén and seven of his associates of drug trafficking and assault against federal agents. "We are sending a clear and strong message that no one can threaten or harm a federal agent with impunity," DEA chief Donnie R. Marshall said in the press release. U.S. officials stated that they believed Cárdenas Guillén was hiding in Reynosa or Matamoros. Law enforcement pressure against the Gulf Cartel and Cárdenas Guillén was also extended to their financial networks. On 1 June 2001, Cárdenas Guillén was sanctioned under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act) after President Bill Clinton considered him a "significant" international drug trafficker. The sanction was also extended to 11 other suspected drug traffickers across the world, including Álvarez Tostado, Sher Afghan, Miguel Caro Quintero, Chang Ping Yun, Joseph Gilboa, Joaquín Guzmán Loera, Jamiel Hamieh, Ismael Higuera Guerrero, Nasir Ali Khan, Óscar Malherbe de León, and Alcides Ramón Magaña. As a result of the sanction, Cárdenas Guillén's U.S.-based assets were frozen and U.S. citizens and companies were prohibited from engaging in business activities with him. It also revoked the visas of his family members who benefited from his illicit funds. In October 2001, the U.S. Customs Service placed Cárdenas Guillén on its list of top-ten most-wanted international suspects. He was the third Mexican national to be included on this list; previously, Juárez Cartel leader Juan José Álvarez Tostado and Tijuana Cartel leader David Garzón Anguiano were on the list. In the report, Cárdenas Guillén was described as an armed and dangerous criminal who could be identified by a birthmark on the right side of his face and a tattoo on his left shoulder. On 9 April 2002, Cárdenas Guillén, along with nine associates, was indicted again for cocaine trafficking and continuous criminal enterprise activities. Arrests At around 9:45 a.m. on 14 March 2003, Cárdenas Guillén was arrested in Matamoros by the Mexican Army after a large shootout with his gunmen. There were three different shootouts during the operation; the first one occurred inside a house in Satélite neighborhood, where Cárdenas Guillén had been hiding for several months. The shootout there lasted about half an hour, during which Cárdenas Guillén's bodyguards were outnumbered and surrounded by the Army.Grillo 2012 99 When the military entered the house, Cárdenas Guillén tried to escape through a backyard wall but was apprehended. As he was taken into custody, a second shootout broke out outside the house after his gunmen tried to prevent his arrest. The third shootout broke out near Matamoros International Airport when a group of gunmen tried to rescue Cárdenas Guillén and prevent the military from transporting him to Mexico City. Once in Mexico City, he was handed over to the PGR and sent to Campo Militar 1, a military installation. He was then transferred via helicopter to the Federal Social Readaptation Center No. 1 (previously known as "La Palma"), a maximum-security prison in Almoloya de Juárez, State of Mexico. Three military men were wounded in the shootouts; at least one Gulf Cartel gunmen was killed and six more were wounded. Two uninvolved civilians were also injured in the attacks. After the third shootout, the military erected checkpoints and carried out vehicle inspections on the highways connecting Matamoros with Reynosa, Ciudad Victoria, and Playa Bagdad. left|thumb|Indictment chart against leaders of the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas, issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury The arrest was a significant event in the anti-crime efforts of President Vicente Fox (2000–2006). It also marked a radical shift in modus operandi of organized crime groups in Mexico; a shootout of this scale had not been seen in previous arrests of high-profile drug lords.Grillo 2012 99 The arrest came after six-month investigation that included undercover work. It was a combined effort by the Mexican government, the FBI, DEA, and the U.S. Customs Service, and was dubbed Operation Golden Grips. The arrest was planned in nearly absolute secrecy; the only Mexican officials aware of Cárdenas Guillén's capture were Fox, the Secretary of Defense Ricardo Clemente Vega García, and Attorney General Rafael Macedo de la Concha. The Mexican Army discovered Cárdenas Guillén's whereabouts about a week before the arrest and notified Fox, who approved the order to apprehend him. The Mexican government stated that tracing his whereabouts was a difficult task;In December 2002, four Mexican investigators were kidnapped by the Gulf Cartel: Gustavo Garza Martínez, Norma Elsa Castillo Pinales, Juan Remi Ortega Arellano, and Eduardo Díaz Reyes. They were working undercover in Tamaulipas, and Mexican authorities suspect Cárdenas Guillén may have been involved in their disappearance. during the investigation, they discovered he had at least 300 individuals working under him and protecting him from law enforcement in various parts of Mexico. In a press conference, Fox praised the efforts of the Army, which stated it would investigate the identity of Cárdenas Guillén's successor. In Mexico, Cárdenas Guillén had three outstanding arrest warrants for drug trafficking, money laundering, and organized crime charges; one in Mexico City and two in Tamaulipas. The PGR notified the U.S. government of the arrest because of the outstanding charges Cárdenas Guillén had in the U.S; it confirmed, however, that he would face trial in Mexico before an extradition request from the U.S. government was considered. The U.S. was enthusiastic about the arrest and recognized the efforts of the Fox administration. In addition to Cárdenas Guillén, other Gulf Cartel members involved in the standoff were arrested and convicted. Garza Rendón turned himself in to U.S. authorities in Pharr, Texas, on 5 June 2001 after fearing for his life; he was sentenced to nine years in prison in the U.S. that year. He was deported to Mexico in 2009, where he was re-arrested on additional charges. Medrano Rodríguez was arrested on 28 March 2002 in Matamoros; he was sentenced to 44 years in prison on 12 May 2006. He was released after 2012. Vázquez Mireles was arrested in Veracruz on 1 April 2003; as of 2013, he was in prison without a conviction after a court annulled his 12-year sentence. González Pizaña was arrested in October 2004; he was given a 16-year conviction in 2014, but was released later that year after his conviction was reduced to time he had already served. De la Cruz Reyna was arrested in Polanco, Mexico City, on 30 August 2007; he was extradited to the U.S. on 31 December 2008, and sentenced to 11 years in prison on 10 October 2012. Costilla Sánchez was arrested in Tampico, Tamaulipas, in 2012; he was extradited to the U.S. in 2015. Imprisonment and extraditions While in prison, Cárdenas Guillén continued to lead the Gulf Cartel and created an alliance with Tijuana Cartel leader Benjamín Arellano Félix. Cárdenas Guillén and Arellano Félix orchestrated plans to destabilize La Palma, and were placed under 24-hour surveillance with limited visits from family members. In October 2003 Cárdenas Guillén planned a hunger strike with other inmates after complaining that prison authorities were limiting the availability of water for their daily showers. In December 2003, Mexican authorities discovered he had smuggled a cellphone into his prison cell.Investigators believe he commanded drug trafficking and money laundering operations with this device via his nephew José Alfredo Cárdenas Martínez. In April 2004, he sponsored a nationwide gift delivery during Children's Day and gave money to a church. In August 2004, investigators discovered Arellano Félix and Cárdenas Guillén were planning to escape from prison with outside help from their henchmen; Cárdenas Guillén was reportedly planning to use Los Zetas to break in and free him. In January 2005, authorities also discovered that Cárdenas Guillén was depositing money into the bank accounts of several inmates and their family members to gain their favor. The same month, he ordered the execution of six prison guards in Matamoros; according to investigators, the attack was intended to show the government he was still capable of instigating violent acts. On 31 December 2005, high-ranking Sinaloa Cartel leader Arturo Guzmán Loera was killed in La Palma; investigators suspected Cárdenas Guillén may have planned the attack. right|thumb|Osiel Cárdenas Guillén's extradition to the United States from Mexico The Mexican government grew frustrated of Cárdenas Guillén's actions behind bars and decided to extradite him to the U.S. The extradition occurred on 19 January 2007, along with that of 14 other suspected criminals. He was one of the four major drug cartel leaders extradited that day; the other kingpins were Ismael and Gilberto Higuera Guerrero, former leaders of the Tijuana Cartel, and Héctor "El Güero" Palma, a former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel. The extradition came a few days after the inauguration of President Felipe Calderón (2006–2012); U.S. officials lauded Cárdenas Guillén's extradition and said they were optimistic about the new administration. U.S. officials had tried to have Cárdenas Guillén extradited to the U.S. during the Fox administration but they believed the Mexican government was reluctant to extradite criminals who faced crimes punishable with death penalties or life imprisonment; Mexico does not issue these sentences. On 24 February 2010, Cárdenas Guillén was sentenced to 25 years in prison without possibility of parole. He was also fined US$100,000 and ordered to forfeit US$50 million; a small portion of what U.S. officials believed he generated as a leader of the Gulf Cartel. Upon his release in 2035, he will be placed in supervised release for five years. Though most of the trial was held behind closed doors, the U.S. government confirmed he pleaded guilty to threatening U.S. agents, money laundering, and drug trafficking. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Cárdenas Guillén led a vast criminal empire that supplied multi-ton shipments of cocaine and marijuana from Mexico to the U.S., resulting in millions of dollars in drug proceeds. They also found him guilty of using violence and intimidation to further his drug conspiracies. "The successful prosecution of Cárdenas Guillén underscores the joint resolve of the United States and Mexico to pursue and prosecute the leadership of the drug trafficking cartels, dismantle their organizations and end the violence and corruption they have spawned", the prosecution said. See also Mexican drug war Sources Footnotes 2 References https://www.dea.gov/pubs/pressrel/pr121400.htm $2 Million Reward Offered Leading to the Arrest or Conviction of Drug Traffickers 14 December 2000 Drug Enforcement Administration https://web.archive.org/web/20070203212334/https://www.dea.gov/pubs/pressrel/pr121400.htm 3 February 2007 dead https://www.justice.gov/dea/major/impunity.html Operation Impunity II December 2000 Drug Enforcement Administration https://web.archive.org/web/20030705234500/http://www.justice.gov/dea/major/impunity.html 5 July 2003 dead https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/houston/press-releases/2010/ho022410b.htm Osiel Cardenas-Guillen, Former Head of the Gulf Cartel, Sentenced to 25 Years' Imprisonment 24 February 2010 Federal Bureau of Investigation https://web.archive.org/web/20170104030455/https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/houston/press-releases/2010/ho022410b.htm 4 January 2017 live https://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/24/world/head-to-head-in-mexico-dea-agents-and-suspects.html Head to Head in Mexico: D.E.A. Agents And Suspects Golden Tim 24 November 1999 The New York Times https://web.archive.org/web/20170915045629/http://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/24/world/head-to-head-in-mexico-dea-agents-and-suspects.html 15 September 2017 live limited https://www.deseret.com/2000/12/15/19544491/u-s-agents-targeting-mexican-drug-kingpin/ U.S. agents targeting Mexican drug kingpin 15 December 2000 Deseret News Associated Press https://web.archive.org/web/20181127193451/https://www.deseretnews.com/article/798758/US-agents-targeting-Mexican-drug-kingpin.html?pg=2 27 November 2018 live https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/DEA-agent-breaks-silence-on-standoff-with-cartel-1713234.php DEA agent breaks silence on standoff with cartel Schiller Dane 15 March 2010 The Houston Chronicle https://web.archive.org/web/20181127193446/https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/DEA-agent-breaks-silence-on-standoff-with-cartel-1713234.php 27 November 2018 live https://www.contralinea.com.mx/archivo-revista/2009/08/23/dea-fbi-pgr-osiel-controlo-tamaulipas/ DEA, FBI, PGR: Osiel controló Tamaulipas Reyez José 23 August 2003 Contralínea https://web.archive.org/web/20180420171648/http://www.contralinea.com.mx/archivo-revista/2009/08/23/dea-fbi-pgr-osiel-controlo-tamaulipas/ 20 April 2018 live Spanish https://newspaperarchive.com/brownsville-herald-nov-27-1999-p-1/ U.S. federal agents in Matamoros standoff Borunda Daniel 27 November 1999 The Brownsville Herald A1–A9 NewspaperArchive.com https://web.archive.org/web/20181204014610/https://newspaperarchive.com/brownsville-herald-nov-27-1999-p-1/ 4 December 2018 live https://azdailysun.com/mexico-arrests-alleged-drug-lord-after-shoot-out/article_851b7fee-b19e-5441-b17a-f8e983bfa59e.html Mexico arrests alleged drug lord after shoot-out 14 March 2003 Arizona Daily Sun Associated Press https://web.archive.org/web/20200901094257/https://azdailysun.com/mexico-arrests-alleged-drug-lord-after-shoot-out/article_851b7fee-b19e-5441-b17a-f8e983bfa59e.html 1 September 2020 live 7 December 2018 https://fas.org/irp/congress/2000_hr/ct032100.htm DEA – Publications – Congressional Testimony – 03/21/00 Marshall Donnie R. 21 March 2000 Drug Enforcement Administration Federation of American Scientists https://web.archive.org/web/20170326213033/https://fas.org/irp/congress/2000_hr/ct032100.htm 26 March 2017 live https://www.dallasnews.com/news/news/2010/03/14/DEA-agent-tells-details-of-now-7027 DEA agent tells details of now-infamous 1999 confrontation with Mexican drug kingpin Schiller Dane March 2010 The Dallas Morning News https://web.archive.org/web/20181127064616/https://www.dallasnews.com/news/news/2010/03/14/DEA-agent-tells-details-of-now-7027 27 November 2018 live https://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/031610/wor_591300496.shtml DEA agent describes engaging in armed standoff with drug kingpin in '99 16 March 2010 Lubbock Avalanche-Journal https://web.archive.org/web/20121004184723/https://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/031610/wor_591300496.shtml 4 October 2012 dead Associated Press https://www.businessinsider.com/osiel-cardenas-gulf-cartel-joe-dubois-daniel-fuentes-2017-3 'I don't give a damn who you are': The roadside showdown that made a Mexican kingpin a marked man Woody Christopher 12 March 2017 Business Insider https://web.archive.org/web/20181127064826/https://www.businessinsider.com/osiel-cardenas-gulf-cartel-joe-dubois-daniel-fuentes-2017-3 27 November 2018 live https://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/valley/grayson-zapata-slaying-will-have-repercussions/article_9ea1164e-6747-5656-8dc9-10d46ea919bc.html https://archive.today/20200421045857/https://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/valley/grayson-zapata-slaying-will-have-repercussions/article_9ea1164e-6747-5656-8dc9-10d46ea919bc.html dead 21 April 2020 Grayson: Zapata slaying will have repercussions 17 February 2011 The Brownsville Herald http://diario.mx/Nacional/2013-03-17_a4c945dc/ordenan-reponer-juicio-a-ex-capo-de-cartel-del-golfo/ Ordenan reponer juicio a ex capo de cártel del Golfo 17 March 2013 El Diario de Juárez https://web.archive.org/web/20130320171516/http://diario.mx/Nacional/2013-03-17_a4c945dc/ordenan-reponer-juicio-a-ex-capo-de-cartel-del-golfo/ 20 March 2013 live Spanish https://m.brownsvilleherald.com/news/local/archived-story/article_bfb1b968-3826-56b7-afff-46cf11f28a9e.html?mode=jqm Alleged leader of Gulf Cartel faces federal indictment Caskey Anthony 12 April 2002 The Brownsville Herald 26 November 2018 4 December 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181204014607/https://m.brownsvilleherald.com/news/local/archived-story/article_bfb1b968-3826-56b7-afff-46cf11f28a9e.html?mode=jqm dead https://www.jornada.com.mx/2003/03/15/048n1con.php Bajo fuego, la captura del capo Osiel Cárdenas Lira Saade Carmen 15 March 2003 La Jornada Spanish https://web.archive.org/web/20181129214919/https://www.jornada.com.mx/2003/03/15/048n1con.php 29 November 2018 live http://www2.eluniversal.com.mx/pls/impreso/noticia.html?id_nota=94595&tabla=Nacion_H Cae Osiel Cárdenas Gómez Francisco 14 March 2003 El Universal https://web.archive.org/web/20120328092143/http://www2.eluniversal.com.mx/pls/impreso/noticia.html?id_nota=94595&tabla=Nacion_H 28 March 2012 dead Spanish Ubican en 2003 celular a Osiel en La Palma Barajas Abel 21 October 2004 Reforma Editora El Sol, S.A. de C.V. Robles Osvaldo Spanish 307406845 https://www.myplainview.com/news/article/Boldness-violence-kept-drug-kingpin-atop-Mexican-8673824.php Boldness, violence kept drug kingpin atop Mexican cartel Lozano Juan A. 8 February 2007 My Plainview https://web.archive.org/web/20181210022755/https://www.myplainview.com/news/article/Boldness-violence-kept-drug-kingpin-atop-Mexican-8673824.php 10 December 2018 live https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/20/AR2007012001297.html?noredirect=on U.S. Officials Laud Transfer of Mexican Drug Suspects Roig-Franzia Manuel 21 January 2007 The Washington Post https://archive.today/20181213052601/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/20/AR2007012001297.html?noredirect=on 13 December 2018 live 27 January 2019 https://www.dallasnews.com/news/news/2010/02/25/Drug-lord-Osiel-Crdenas-Guillen-gets-9129 Drug lord Osiel Crdenas Guillen gets 25-year sentence 25 February 2010 The Dallas Morning News https://web.archive.org/web/20170926155124/https://www.dallasnews.com/news/news/2010/02/25/Drug-lord-Osiel-Crdenas-Guillen-gets-9129 26 September 2017 live http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/02/25/kingpin.cardenas.sentenced/index.html Mexican drug lord gets 25 years, gives up $50 million 25 February 2010 CNN https://web.archive.org/web/20130920162610/http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/02/25/kingpin.cardenas.sentenced/index.html 20 September 2013 live https://www.state.gov/j/inl/narc/rewards/275633.htm Narcotics Rewards Program United States Department of State https://web.archive.org/web/20171128145955/https://www.state.gov/j/inl/narc/rewards/275633.htm 28 November 2017 dead https://www.nytimes.com/1996/05/12/world/victory-deceit-special-report-bribes-publicity-mark-fall-mexican-drug-lord.html Victory or deceit? A special report: Bribes and Publicity Mark Fall of Mexican Drug Lord Dillon Sam 12 May 1996 The New York Times https://web.archive.org/web/20160322140210/http://www.nytimes.com/1996/05/12/world/victory-deceit-special-report-bribes-publicity-mark-fall-mexican-drug-lord.html 22 March 2016 live limited https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-02-01-mn-24349-story.html Drug Lord Sentenced to 11 Life Terms, Fined $128 Million Fineman Mark 1 February 1997 Los Angeles Times Hart Lianne https://web.archive.org/web/20171108224534/http://articles.latimes.com/1997-02-01/news/mn-24349_1_drug-lord 8 November 2017 live http://www.terra.com.mx/noticias/articulo/989908/Historia+y+estructura+del+Cartel+del+Golfo.htm Historia y estructura del Cártel del Golfo 5 November 2010 Terra Networks https://web.archive.org/web/20101109022720/http://www.terra.com.mx/noticias/articulo/989908/Historia+y+estructura+del+Cartel+del+Golfo.htm 9 November 2010 dead Spanish https://www.proceso.com.mx/182132/con-oziel-cardenas-sucesor-de-garcia-abrego-el-cartel-del-golfo-recobra-fuerza Con Oziel Cárdenas, sucesor de García Abrego, el cártel del Golfo recobra fuerza 11 December 1999 Proceso Spanish https://web.archive.org/web/20181204014606/https://www.proceso.com.mx/182132/con-oziel-cardenas-sucesor-de-garcia-abrego-el-cartel-del-golfo-recobra-fuerza 4 December 2018 live https://www.nexos.com.mx/?p=15460 El nacimiento de un ejército criminal Valdés Castellanos Guillermo 1 September 2013 Revista Nexos Spanish https://web.archive.org/web/20180407214007/https://www.nexos.com.mx/?p=15460 7 April 2018 live https://www.proceso.com.mx/187218/el-cartel-del-golfo-en-plena-actividad El Cártel del Golfo, en plena actividad 18 March 2002 Proceso Spanish https://web.archive.org/web/20181213040532/https://www.proceso.com.mx/187218/el-cartel-del-golfo-en-plena-actividad 13 December 2018 live https://www.proceso.com.mx/80792/el-capo-sombrio El capo sombrío 19 September 2010 Proceso Spanish https://web.archive.org/web/20181213045500/https://www.proceso.com.mx/80792/el-capo-sombrio 13 December 2018 live http://www.cronica.com.mx/notas/2003/54308.html Conozca la historia del Cartel del Golfo y Osiel Cárdenas 14 March 2003 La Crónica de Hoy Spanish https://web.archive.org/web/20180315062119/http://www.cronica.com.mx/notas/2003/54308.html 15 March 2018 live https://ctc.usma.edu/a-profile-of-los-zetas-mexicos-second-most-powerful-drug-cartel/ A Profile of Los Zetas: Mexico's Second Most Powerful Drug Cartel Logan Samuel February 2012 Combating Terrorism Center United States Military Academy https://web.archive.org/web/20181104170218/https://ctc.usma.edu/a-profile-of-los-zetas-mexicos-second-most-powerful-drug-cartel/ 4 November 2018 live https://www.lubbockonline.com/texas/2012-01-18/assets-drug-boss-go-texas-law-enforcement Assets from drug boss go to Texas law enforcement Sherman Christopher 18 January 2012 Lubbock Avalanche-Journal https://web.archive.org/web/20181204014606/https://www.lubbockonline.com/texas/2012-01-18/assets-drug-boss-go-texas-law-enforcement 4 December 2018 live https://valleycentral.com/news/local/295-million-in-osiel-cardenas-drug-funds-split-up-for-12-valley-agencies $29.5 million in Osiel Cardenas drug funds split up for 12 Valley agencies 16 February 2012 KGBT-TV https://web.archive.org/web/20181213152657/https://valleycentral.com/news/local/295-million-in-osiel-cardenas-drug-funds-split-up-for-12-valley-agencies 13 December 2018 live https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/article/DEA-undercover-agents-laundering-Mexican-cartels-2342320.php DEA undercover agents laundering Mexican cartels' money Thompson Ginger 3 December 2011 The Houston Chronicle https://web.archive.org/web/20181213045500/https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/article/DEA-undercover-agents-laundering-Mexican-cartels-2342320.php 13 December 2018 live http://www.banderasnews.com/0702/nw-osielcardenasguillen.htm US Prosecutors Set to Take on Suspected Gulf Cartel Leader Schiller Dane February 2007 San Antonio Express-News Banderas News https://web.archive.org/web/20181204014606/http://www.banderasnews.com/0702/nw-osielcardenasguillen.htm 4 December 2018 live https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/mexico/article/Dangers-higher-for-federal-agents-1033781.php Dangers higher for federal agents Buch Json 28 February 2011 San Antonio Express-News https://web.archive.org/web/20181127110405/https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/mexico/article/Dangers-higher-for-federal-agents-1033781.php 27 November 2018 live http://diario.mx/Nacional/2014-02-16_b0b9bccd/error-de-osiel-cardenas-le-costo-la-libertad-escritor/ Error de Osiel Cárdenas le costó la libertad: escritor 16 February 2014 El Diario de Juárez https://web.archive.org/web/20180412190332/http://diario.mx/Nacional/2014-02-16_b0b9bccd/error-de-osiel-cardenas-le-costo-la-libertad-escritor/ 12 April 2018 live Spanish http://archive.gosanangelo.com/news/fbi-agent-recalls-1999-standoff-ep-439163002-356128581.html FBI agent recalls 1999 standoff Ching Monique 22 August 2012 San Angelo Standard-Times https://web.archive.org/web/20181204014606/http://archive.gosanangelo.com/news/fbi-agent-recalls-1999-standoff-ep-439163002-356128581.html 4 December 2018 http://www.cronica.com.mx/notas/2010/542650.html Temían intervención de policías en defensa de Tony Tormenta Blancas Madrigal Daniel 7 November 2010 La Crónica de Hoy Spanish https://web.archive.org/web/20181213045500/http://www.cronica.com.mx/notas/2010/542650.html 13 December 2018 live https://www.debate.com.mx/mexico/Los-agentes-de-la-DEA-que-encararon-a-Osiel-Cardenas-20140917-0051.html Los agentes de la DEA que encararon a Osiel Cárdenas 17 September 2014 El Debate de Sinaloa Spanish https://archive.today/20181213054732/https://www.debate.com.mx/mexico/Los-agentes-de-la-DEA-que-encararon-a-Osiel-Cardenas-20140917-0051.html 13 December 2018 live 28 November 2018 https://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/valley/dea-agent-talks-of-matamoros-standoff-with-osiel-cardenas-guillen/article_d0f18c0c-d393-5856-853a-35d2a03ec937.html DEA agent talks of 1999 Matamoros standoff with Osiel Cardenas-Guillen 15 March 2010 The Brownsville Herald https://web.archive.org/web/20181204014608/https://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/valley/dea-agent-talks-of-matamoros-standoff-with-osiel-cardenas-guillen/article_d0f18c0c-d393-5856-853a-35d2a03ec937.html 4 December 2018 live http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_17407455 Attack on ICE agents won't slow drug war, experts say Bracamontes Ramón 17 February 2011 El Paso Times https://archive.today/20120729075515/http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_17407455 29 July 2012 dead https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2018-07/1999-2003%20p%2091-118.pdf The Drug Enforcement Administration: 1999–2003 July 2018 Drug Enforcement Administration 112 https://web.archive.org/web/20181205194309/https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2018-07/1999-2003%20p%2091-118.pdf 5 December 2018 live https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-nov-30-mn-59348-story.html As Fox Takes Reins, Police Corruption Will Be a Focus Sheridan Mary Beth 30 November 2000 Los Angeles Times https://web.archive.org/web/20151017202554/http://articles.latimes.com/2000/nov/30/news/mn-59348 17 October 2015 live http://fox.presidencia.gob.mx/buenasnoticias/?contenido=4769&imprimir=true Capturan a líder del Cártel del Golfo 14 March 2003 Government of Mexico Mexico City Spanish https://archive.today/20181205024401/http://fox.presidencia.gob.mx/buenasnoticias/?contenido=4769&imprimir=true 5 December 2018 dead 28 November 2018 https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/houston/press-releases/2009/ho033109.htm Member of Gulf Cartel Convicted for Assault of Federal Agents 31 March 2009 Federal Bureau of Investigation https://web.archive.org/web/20181117192755/https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/houston/press-releases/2009/ho033109.htm 17 November 2018 live https://www.chron.com/news/nation-world/article/Capture-of-Gulf-Cartel-general-highlights-bad-day-3861222.php Capture of Gulf Cartel general highlights bad day for drug-world figures 13 September 2012 The Houston Chronicle https://web.archive.org/web/20181127193433/https://www.chron.com/news/nation-world/article/Capture-of-Gulf-Cartel-general-highlights-bad-day-3861222.php 27 November 2018 live https://www.jornada.com.mx/2001/06/08/045n1soc.html Se entregó a EU lugarteniente del cártel del Golfo Castillo García Gustavo 8 June 2001 La Jornada Spanish https://web.archive.org/web/20181204014606/https://www.jornada.com.mx/2001/06/08/045n1soc.html 4 December 2018 live https://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/29/world/mexico-arrests-a-key-figure-in-drug-cartel.html Mexico Arrests A Key Figure in Drug Cartel Weiner Tim 29 March 2002 The New York Times https://web.archive.org/web/20180129020110/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/29/world/mexico-arrests-a-key-figure-in-drug-cartel.html 29 January 2018 live limited https://www.apnews.com/376beb1380e46ad14d1085838ca92943 Mexican Police Arrest Suspected Hit Man Stevenson Mark 30 October 2004 Associated Press https://web.archive.org/web/20181204014608/https://www.apnews.com/376beb1380e46ad14d1085838ca92943 4 December 2018 live https://www.justice.gov/archive/ag/speeches/2000/awards.htm 48th Annual Awards Ceremony 28 July 2000 United States Department of Justice https://web.archive.org/web/20170102175759/https://www.justice.gov/archive/ag/speeches/2000/awards.htm 2 January 2017 live https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Accused-cartel-kingpin-pleads-in-Houston-court-1798785.php Accused cartel kingpin pleads in Houston court George Cindy 9 February 2007 The Houston Chronicle https://web.archive.org/web/20181213045500/https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Accused-cartel-kingpin-pleads-in-Houston-court-1798785.php 13 December 2018 live https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-dec-15-mn-400-story.html U.S. Targets Alleged Mexican Drug Kingpin Sheridan Mary Beth 15 December 2000 Los Angeles Times https://web.archive.org/web/20150911125220/http://articles.latimes.com/2000/dec/15/news/mn-400 11 September 2015 live https://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/local/drug-cartel-crackdown-crime-million-offered-in-reward-for-capture/article_d2a871e6-c21b-55a8-be41-dd287b35f1eb.html https://archive.today/20200421045855/https://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/local/drug-cartel-crackdown-crime-million-offered-in-reward-for-capture/article_d2a871e6-c21b-55a8-be41-dd287b35f1eb.html dead 21 April 2020 Drug cartel crackdown crime: $2 million offered in reward for capture of suspects Pierce Brad 15 December 2000 The Brownsville Herald https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/narco_sanctions_kingpin.pdf Sanctions Pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act 18 October 2018 United States Department of the Treasury 1 https://web.archive.org/web/20181127043227/https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/narco_sanctions_kingpin.pdf 27 November 2018 live https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PPP-2001-book1/pdf/PPP-2001-book1-doc-pg602.pdf Letter to Congressional Leaders Reporting on Sanctions Under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act 31 May 2001 United States Government Publishing Office 602 https://web.archive.org/web/20181204014608/https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PPP-2001-book1/pdf/PPP-2001-book1-doc-pg602.pdf 4 December 2018 live https://www.upi.com/Archives/2001/06/01/White-House-cracks-down-on-kingpins/4209991368000/ White House cracks down on kingpins Gentile Carmen 1 June 2001 United Press International https://web.archive.org/web/20181204014608/https://www.upi.com/Archives/2001/06/01/White-House-cracks-down-on-kingpins/4209991368000/ 4 December 2018 live Busca Aduanas de EU al capo Osiel Cardenas Barajas Abel 21 October 2001 Reforma Mexico City Spanish 310687234 https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Reputed-drug-lord-arrested-after-gunfight-2628653.php Reputed drug lord arrested after gunfight Hernandez Macarena 15 March 2003 San Francisco Chronicle Schiller Dane https://web.archive.org/web/20180523213758/https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Reputed-drug-lord-arrested-after-gunfight-2628653.php 23 May 2018 live https://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/17/world/leading-mexican-drug-suspect-is-captured.html Leading Mexican Drug Suspect Is Captured 17 March 2003 The New York Times https://web.archive.org/web/20171229184016/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/17/world/leading-mexican-drug-suspect-is-captured.html 29 December 2017 live limited Encarcelan a Osiel en La Palma Barajas Abel 16 March 2002 Reforma Editora El Sol, S.A. de C.V. Spanish 307109461 http://www.milenio.com/policia/altiplano-el-penal-de-los-tres-nombres-y-los-narcos-mas-peligrosos Altiplano, el penal de los tres nombres y los narcos más peligrosos Arteaga Alejandra 12 July 2015 Milenio Spanish https://web.archive.org/web/20181210201306/http://www.milenio.com/policia/altiplano-el-penal-de-los-tres-nombres-y-los-narcos-mas-peligrosos 10 December 2018 live http://www.cronica.com.mx/notas/2003/54376.html Capturan en Matamoros al líder del Cártel del Golfo Sánchez Raymundo 15 March 2003 La Crónica de Hoy Spanish https://web.archive.org/web/20181207211816/http://www.cronica.com.mx/notas/2003/54376.html 7 December 2018 live http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/03/14/mexican.drug.lord/ Alleged leader of Mexican drug cartel arrested Cardenas Lourdes 14 March 2003 CNN https://web.archive.org/web/20170315140534/http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/03/14/mexican.drug.lord/ 15 March 2017 live https://www.dea.gov/pubs/pressrel/pr032103.html Captured: Mexican Cartel Boss Osiel Cardenas-Guillen Violent Criminal had Threatened Federal Agents 21 March 2003 Drug Enforcement Administration https://web.archive.org/web/20080516141205/https://www.dea.gov/pubs/pressrel/pr032103.html 16 May 2008 dead https://www.proceso.com.mx/188930/tamaulipas-las-narco-desapariciones Tamaulipas: las narco desapariciones 18 January 2003 Proceso Spanish https://web.archive.org/web/20180323072131/http://www.proceso.com.mx/188930/tamaulipas-las-narco-desapariciones 23 March 2018 live https://www.elsiglodetorreon.com.mx/noticia/40329.cartel-del-golfo-asesino-a-agentes.html Cártel del Golfo asesinó a agentes 17 July 2003 El Siglo de Torreón Spanish https://web.archive.org/web/20090430214512/http://elsiglodetorreon.com.mx/noticia/40329.cartel-del-golfo-asesino-a-agentes.html 30 April 2009 live https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2852197.stm 'Drug boss' captured in Mexico 14 March 2003 BBC News https://web.archive.org/web/20110611070209/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2852197.stm 11 June 2011 live https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-mar-15-fg-mexico15-story.html Mexico Arrests Alleged Drug Lord Dickerson Marla 15 March 2003 Los Angeles Times https://web.archive.org/web/20150927151701/http://articles.latimes.com/2003/mar/15/world/fg-mexico15 27 September 2015 live https://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/local/alleged-cartel-lieutenant-surrenders-drugs-wanted-man-walks-across-pharr/article_c8d2ec70-3eb3-5166-a520-2e7b3bd64dda.html Alleged Cartel lieutenant surrenders Drugs: Wanted man walks across Pharr bridge and turns himself in 7 June 2001 The Brownsville Herald 11 December 2018 9 January 2019 https://archive.today/20190109143855/https://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/local/alleged-cartel-lieutenant-surrenders-drugs-wanted-man-walks-across-pharr/article_c8d2ec70-3eb3-5166-a520-2e7b3bd64dda.html dead https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/former-mexican-drug-cartel-officer-deported Former Mexican drug cartel officer deported 10 April 2009 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement https://web.archive.org/web/20170618193826/https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/former-mexican-drug-cartel-officer-deported 18 June 2017 live https://www.proceso.com.mx/240887/confirma-la-pgr-la-detencion-de-adan-medrano-miembro-del-cartel-del-golfo Confirma la PGR la detención de Adán Medrano, miembro del cártel del Golfo 28 March 2002 Proceso Spanish https://web.archive.org/web/20181117023029/https://www.proceso.com.mx/240887/confirma-la-pgr-la-detencion-de-adan-medrano-miembro-del-cartel-del-golfo 17 November 2018 live https://www.elsiglodetorreon.com.mx/noticia/212735.sentencian-a-capo-a-44-anos-de-prision.html Sentencian a capo a 44 años de prisión 12 May 2006 El Siglo de Torreón Spanish https://web.archive.org/web/20181116221057/https://www.elsiglodetorreon.com.mx/noticia/212735.sentencian-a-capo-a-44-anos-de-prision.html 16 November 2018 live http://diario.mx/Nacional/2014-10-27_e15c0d14/liberan-en-dos-anos-a-10-lideres-del-narcotrafico/ Liberan en dos años a 10 líderes del narcotráfico 27 October 2014 El Diario de Juárez Spanish https://web.archive.org/web/20141204091049/http://diario.mx/Nacional/2014-10-27_e15c0d14/liberan-en-dos-anos-a-10-lideres-del-narcotrafico 4 December 2014 live http://www.cronica.com.mx/notas/2003/57137.html Detienen en Veracruz a relevo de Osiel Cárdenas Dávila Darío 1 April 2003 La Crónica de Hoy Jiménez Carlos Spanish https://web.archive.org/web/20181213045500/http://www.cronica.com.mx/notas/2003/57137.html 13 December 2018 live http://diario.mx/Nacional/2013-03-17_a4c945dc/ordenan-reponer-juicio-a-ex-capo-de-cartel-del-golfo/ Ordenan reponer juicio a ex capo de cártel del Golfo 17 March 2003 El Diario de Juárez Spanish https://web.archive.org/web/20130320171516/http://diario.mx/Nacional/2013-03-17_a4c945dc/ordenan-reponer-juicio-a-ex-capo-de-cartel-del-golfo/ 20 March 2013 live Cae 'El Kelín' del cártel del Golfo http://www.elsiglodetorreon.com.mx/noticia/116628.cae-el-kelin-del-cartel-del-golfo.html 30 July 2013 El Siglo de Torreón 29 October 2004 https://web.archive.org/web/20100326021908/http://www.elsiglodetorreon.com.mx/noticia/116628.cae-el-kelin-del-cartel-del-golfo.html 26 March 2010 live Spanish http://www.milenio.com/policia/Dan-anos-carcel-lider-Zetas-Rogelio-Gonzalez-Pizana-Osiel-Cardenas-Lazca-Lazcano_0_230977152.html Dan 16 años de cárcel a ex líder de Los Zetas Mosso Rubén 21 January 2014 Milenio 22 January 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20180906162051/http://www.milenio.com/policia/dan-16-anos-de-carcel-a-ex-lider-de-los-zetas 6 September 2018 Spanish Al estilo Caro, líder "Zeta" sale de prisión https://www.informador.mx/Mexico/Al-estilo-Caro-Quintero-lider-zeta-sale-de-prision-20140914-0127.html 14 September 2014 El Informador 14 September 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140914213413/http://www.informador.com.mx/mexico/2014/548724/6/al-estilo-caro-quintero-lider-zeta-sale-de-prision.htm 14 September 2014 live Spanish Liberan a 'El Kelín' fundador de Zetas http://www.eldiariodecoahuila.com.mx/notas/2014/9/14/liberan-kelin-fundador-zetas-455066.asp 15 September 2014 Published from El Universal (Mexico City) El Diario de Coahuila 14 September 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140915160215/http://www.eldiariodecoahuila.com.mx/notas/2014/9/14/liberan-kelin-fundador-zetas-455066.asp 15 September 2014 Spanish https://www.jornada.com.mx/2007/08/30/index.php?section=politica&article=018n1pol Importante operador del cártel del Golfo, uno de los detenidos en Polanco Castillo García Gustavo 30 August 2007 La Jornada Spanish https://web.archive.org/web/20181211172913/https://www.jornada.com.mx/2007/08/30/index.php?section=politica&article=018n1pol 11 December 2018 live https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/divisions/hq/2008/pr123108p.html 10 Major Drug Defendants Extradited from Mexico to the United States 31 December 2008 Drug Enforcement Administration https://web.archive.org/web/20181213052445/https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/divisions/hq/2008/pr123108p.html 13 December 2018 live https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/nacion/164837.html México extradita a EU capos de tres cárteles Sánchez Julián 1 January 2009 El Universal https://web.archive.org/web/20120519095040/https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/nacion/164837.html 19 May 2012 dead Spanish https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/sanantonio/press-releases/2012/gulf-cartel-figure-and-five-others-sentenced-to-prison-in-bribery-scheme Gulf Cartel Figure and Five Others Sentenced to Prison in Bribery Scheme 10 October 2012 Federal Bureau of Investigation https://web.archive.org/web/20170710162348/https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/sanantonio/press-releases/2012/gulf-cartel-figure-and-five-others-sentenced-to-prison-in-bribery-scheme 10 July 2017 live http://www.valleycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=800309 Gulf Cartel supreme leader 'El Coss' reported captured in Tampico 13 September 2012 KVEO-TV 13 September 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120915065517/http://www.valleycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=800309 15 September 2012 live https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2015/09/30/mexico-extradites-top-capos-others-from-max-security-jail Mexico extradites top drug lords 'La Barbie,' 'El Coss' to US from maximum security jail Corcoran Katherine 1 October 2015 U.S. News Associated Press 13 December 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180613130347/https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2015/09/30/mexico-extradites-top-capos-others-from-max-security-jail 13 June 2018 live Exhibe PGR operaciones de narcos desde La Palma Barajas Abel 14 August 2004 El Norte Editora El Sol, S.A. de C.V. Spanish 311701514 Culpan de la crisis a Osiel y a Arellano Domínguez Miguel 22 January 2005 El Norte Editora El Sol, S.A. de C.V. Linán Francisco Spanish Cázares Martha 311751086 Exige Osiel baño a sus horas; amaga con huelga de hambre Vicenteño David 24 October 2003 El Norte Editora El Sol, S.A. de C.V. Spanish 315844934 Patrocina Osiel festejo a ninos Ramírez Juan José 2 May 2004 Reforma Editora El Sol, S.A. de C.V. Pérez Sonia Spanish 307341560 https://www.proceso.com.mx/195407/no-pueden-con-la-palma No pueden con La Palma 25 September 2005 Proceso Spanish https://web.archive.org/web/20181210200919/https://www.proceso.com.mx/195407/no-pueden-con-la-palma 10 December 2018 live Revelan plan en La Palma Barajas Abel 14 August 2004 Reforma Editora El Sol, S.A. de C.V. Spanish 373820902 http://te7fv6dm8k.search.serialssolutions.com/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fsummon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Coopta+Osiel+Cardenas+a+reclusos+de+La+Palma&rft.jtitle=Reforma+%28Mexico+D.F.%2C+Mexico%29&rft.date=2005-01-07&rft.pub=Agencia+Reforma&rft.issn=1563-7697&rft.spage=1&rft.externalDBID=INF&rft.externalDocID=A126847330&paramdict=en-US Coopta Osiel Cardenas a reclusos de La Palma Barajas Abel 7 January 2005 Reforma Editora El Sol, S.A. de C.V. Spanish subscription Revelan que Osiel ordeno asesinatos Barajas Abel 26 January 2005 El Norte Editora El Sol, S.A. de C.V. Spanish 311800694 http://www.cronica.com.mx/notas/2005/160283.html La PGR investiga al director de La Palma y si Osiel pagó para que ejecutaran al hermano de El Chapo Sevilla Ramón 1 March 2005 La Crónica de Hoy Spanish https://web.archive.org/web/20181210201516/http://www.cronica.com.mx/notas/2005/160283.html 10 December 2018 live Entregan a EU a Osiel y a Palma 20 January 2007 Reforma Editora El Sol, S.A. de C.V. Spanish 307820770 https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/divisions/hq/2007/pr012207p.html Extradition of 15 Mexican Criminals Tandy Karen P. 22 January 2007 Drug Enforcement Administration https://web.archive.org/web/20181204014608/https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/divisions/hq/2007/pr012207p.html 4 December 2018 live https://www.dea.gov/pubs/pressrel/pr012207a.html Statement of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales on Extradition of 15 Mexican Drug Traffickers and Other Criminals 22 January 2007 Drug Enforcement Administration https://web.archive.org/web/20081201134347/https://www.dea.gov/pubs/pressrel/pr012207a.html 1 December 2008 dead http://interactives.dallasnews.com/2016/cartels/ 'Deadly Deal: A Drug Kingpin's Plea with the U.S. Triggered Years of Bloodshed Reaching All the Way to Southlake Corchado Alfredo 14 April 2016 The Dallas Morning News Krause Krause https://web.archive.org/web/20170926204343/http://interactives.dallasnews.com/2016/cartels/ 26 September 2017 live https://www.contralinea.com.mx/archivo-revista/2010/08/01/sentencia-de-osiel-un-pacto-con-obama/ Sentencia de Osiel, un pacto con Obama Pérez Ana Lilia 1 August 2010 Contralínea Spanish https://web.archive.org/web/20181204014606/https://www.contralinea.com.mx/archivo-revista/2010/08/01/sentencia-de-osiel-un-pacto-con-obama/ 4 December 2018 live Encarcelan al abogado de Osiel 13 October 2002 El Norte Editora El Sol, S.A. de C.V. Monterrey, Nuevo León Spanish 315841780 Bibliography https://books.google.com/books?id=LyocfydCQ-YC Osiel: Vida y tragedia de un capo Ravelo Ricardo Penguin Random House 2012 978-6073107716 Spanish https://books.google.com/books?id=kKw0DwAAQBAJ The Executioner's Men: Los Zetas, Rogue Soldiers, Criminal Entrepreneurs, and the Shadow State They Created Grayson George W. Routledge 2017 978-1351483155 https://books.google.com/books?id=wCWDCwAAQBAJ Verdugos: Asesinatos brutales y otras historias secretas de militares Pérez Ana Lilia Penguin Random House 2016 978-6073138659 Spanish https://books.google.com/books?id=C0TFAAAAIAAJ Con la muerte en el bolsillo: seis desaforadas historias del narcotráfico en México Gómez María Idalia Fritz Darío Planeta Group 2005 978-9703700271 Spanish https://books.google.com/books?id=WI08rbJt0oQC El Narco: The Bloody Rise of Mexican Drug Cartels Grillo Ioan A & C Black 2012 978-1408824337 https://books.google.com/books?id=hUvFAAAAIAAJ Narcotráfico: el gran desafío de Calderón Gutiérrez Alejandro Planeta Group 2007 978-9703703180 Spanish https://books.google.com/books?id=QPtABAAAQBAJ In the Shadow of Saint Death: The Gulf Cartel and the Price of America's Drug War in Mexico Deibert Michael Rowman & Littlefield 2014 978-1493010653 Border Insecurity: Why Big Money, Fences, and Drones Aren't Making Us Safer https://books.google.com/books?id=NRnSAgAAQBAJ Longmire Sylvia St. Martin's Press 2014 978-1137443731 https://books.google.com/books?id=3HEpDwAAQBAJ Los Zetas Inc.: Criminal Corporations, Energy, and Civil War in Mexico Correa-Cabrera Guadalupe University of Texas Press 2017 978-1477312773 https://books.google.com/books?id=6gqgGAAACAAJ Los capos: las narco-rutas de México Ravelo Ricardo Editorial Debolsillo 2007 978-9707804463 Spanish Further reading https://books.google.com/books?id=vdoW8f8_4CcC La DEA en México: Una historia oculta del narcotráfico contada por los agentes Esquivel J. Jesús Penguin Random House 2013 978-6073115131 Spanish https://books.google.com/books?id=ZvzBdlolKrQC Drug Control: DEA's Strategies and Operations in the 1990s Rabkin Norman J. Diane Publishing 2000 978-0788184833 https://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/pdf-files/OrgCrime_Mexico.pdf Organized Crime and Terrorist Activity in Mexico, 1999-2002 Miró Ramón J. Curtis Glenn E. February 2003 Library of Congress Washington, D.C. Category:Organized crime events in Mexico Category:Armed standoffs Category:1999 in Mexico Category:November 1999 in Mexico Category:Attacks in 1999 Category:Matamoros, Tamaulipas Category:Gulf Cartel