Edgar "La Barbie" Valdez Villarreal

Edgar "La Barbie" Valdez Villarreal is an American in the Sinaloa Cartel lieutenant and primary operator of the narco-military group, Los Negros.cite book|last=Freeman|first=Laurie|title=State of Siege:Drug-Related Violence and Corruption in Mexico|publisher=Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars|pages=7,13,15|url=http://www.wilsoncenter.org/news/docs/State_of_Siege_WOLA.pdf|language=English] cite news|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-31729154_ITM|title=Lieutenant in Mexican drug cartel a wanted man|last=Samuels|first=Lennox|date=March 21, 2006|publisher=Dallas Morning News|accessdate=2008-04-13] Villarreal's nickname, La Barbie, originates from his light complexion and blue eyes, similar to that of a Ken doll. Villarreal originates from Laredo, Texas.cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/12/04/MNGH0G2PDJ1.DTL|title=Mexico in grip of all-out drug war|last=Thompson|first=Ginger|date=December 4, 2005|publisher=New York Times|accessdate=2008-04-13]

Charges / Defense

The police have been searching for Villarreal since his 2002 indictment on two counts of conspiracy with the intent to distribute marijuana. In the police attempts to capture Villarreal, they have raided homes he has rented, locating grenades, automatic weapons and police uniforms. It is believed Villarreal has been able to corrupt multiple levels of the local Nuevo Laredo government to ensure protection for himself and the Sinaloa Cartel operations.

Villarreal has pleaded innocent, taking out ads in the local Nuevo Laredo newspaper, El Norte, describing himself as: "... a legitimate businessman who had been forced to leave Nuevo Laredo and move to the neighboring state of Coahuila because he was being harassed for bribes from local police officers." [cite news|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0CE5DC1231F930A35751C1A9639C8B63|title= Mexico Agents Kidnapped 4, Prosecutor Says|last=McKenley Jr.|first=James C.|date=December 3, 2005|publisher=New York Times|accessdate=2008-04-13]

Los Negros

It is believed Villarreal currently heads the Sinaloa Cartel enforcement arm, Los Negros. Los Negros is currently engaged in a drug war in the Nuevo Laredo region against the Gulf Cartel's enforcement arm, Los Zetas. Los Negros, also called the Beltran Group, is a narco-military group specifically created to counter the threat of Los Zetas. While the group is controlled directly by Villarreal, it is overseen by the Beltran Levya brothers, Arturo and Hector. [cite journal|date=January 9, 2008|title=A Line in the Sand: Confronting the Threat at the Southwest Border|publisher=Majority Staff of the House Committee on Homeland Security|pages=12,13|url=http://www.house.gov/mccaul/pdf/Investigaions-Border-Report.pdf] Los Negros has been known to employ local gangs such as MS-13 and Mexican Mafia to carry out murders and other illegal activities. [cite book|title=Weak bilateral law enforcement presence at the U.S.Mexico border|publisher=Committee on the Judiciary House of Representatives|date=November 17, 2005|pages=11|isbn=1422334414]

ee also

*Gulf Cartel
*Los Zetas
*Sinaloa Cartel

References