Thread: 'La Barbie' drug lord captured in Mexico, born in U.S.

Suspected drug lord captured in Mexico state

Edgar Valdez Villarreal, also known as 'La Barbie,' was seized by federal police agents, the government says. He had been battling for control of the Beltran Leyva cartel's business.

By Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times
August 30, 2010|7:18 p.m.

Reporting from Mexico City — Mexico announced the capture Monday of one of its most wanted drug-trafficking suspects, a Texas-born figure accused of unleashing a wave of brutal slayings and a ruthless battle with rivals.

Edgar Valdez Villarreal, also known by the improbable nickname "La Barbie," was seized by federal police agents Monday afternoon in the state of Mexico, the region that surrounds Mexico City, the Public Security Ministry said in a statement.

Mexican television showed a photograph of the newly captured Valdez, plumper than he was in earlier known pictures and surrounded by police officers, some with their guns drawn.

Valdez allegedly served as the top enforcer for Arturo Beltran Leyva, a major kingpin killed by Mexican troops in December. Since Beltran's death, police say, Valdez has been locked in a vicious war with Beltran's brother Hector for control of the cartel's business.

The fighting brought gangland-style executions and the hanging of beheaded corpses to the previously peaceful town of Cuernavaca, a playground for the elite outside Mexico City that turned out to be headquarters for part of the Beltran Leyva gang.

The U.S. government had offered a $2-million reward for Valdez's capture after indicting him for allegedly smuggling huge quantities of cocaine into the United States.

wilkinson@latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld ... 4395.story

Police: Accused drug lord moved tons of cocaine to U.S.

By the CNN Wire StaffAugust 31, 2010 4:09 p.m. EDT
Edgar Valdez Villarreal was captured Monday after a shootout with Mexican police.

Mexico City, Mexico (CNN) -- Authorities in Mexico revealed additional details Tuesday about an accused American-born drug kingpin detained Monday who they say moved tons of cocaine into the United States.

Masked security forces in black uniforms and helmets, rifles in hand, escorted Edgar Valdez Villarreal and some of his accused associates before news reporters and photographers during a news conference Tuesday morning.

Valdez is known as "La Barbie" because of his blue eyes and fair complexion, but investigators have described him as one of the most ruthless drug traffickers in Mexico.

"The capture of Valdez Villarreal is a high-impact blow against organized crime," said Alejandro Poire, a spokesman for Mexico's president on security issues. "This is an important step in the national security strategy."

Valdez was responsible for smuggling about a ton of cocaine a month into the United States, authorities said Tuesday. They also displayed automatic rifles, ammunition and bags believed to contain drugs -- items they said police seized as they arrested him Monday.

Authorities said they're continuing to investigate to try to learn more about Valdez's organization.

Investigators arrested six people along with Valdez -- four men and two women, the state-run Notimex news agency reported. The six provided logistical help to Valdez in Mexico's Federal District, which includes the capital, Mexico City.

Police recovered automatic weapons, nine packets of cocaine and three vehicles in the arrest, Notimex reported.

Authorities identified the six who were arrested with Valdez as Maricela Reyes Lozada, 40; Juan Antonio Lopez Reyes, 26; Maritzel Lopez Reyes, 18; Mauricio Lopez Reyes, 25; Arturo Ivan Arroyo, 26, and Jorge Valentin Landa Coronado, 28, the news agency said.

Viviana Macias, a spokeswoman for the federal attorney general's office, said Valdez' capture came after a shootout.

The arrest, a high-profile win for Mexican authorities, followed intelligence operations in six Mexican states to determine Valdez's whereabouts, Poire said. He was captured in the state of Mexico, which borders Mexico City.

This is an important step in the national security strategy.
Valdez was allegedly a one-time top lieutenant of Mexico's most wanted man, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.

Valdez later joined the breakaway Beltran Leyva cartel, but the leader of that group, Arturo Beltran Leyva, was killed in a shootout with Mexican officials late last year. Beltran's brother Carlos was arrested, leaving Valdez in a fight to fill a power vacuum in one of Mexico's most powerful drug cartels.

Lieutenants loyal to the cartel's co-founder deny Valdez is the group's leader, federal police have said.

Valdez, thought to be the first U.S.-born cartel leader in Mexico, is accused in the United States of attempting to launder money and conspiring to import and distribute cocaine. He is believed to have played a key role in shipping roughly 100 kilograms of cocaine across the border at Laredo, Texas, every week for much of 2005, U.S. authorities have said.

In June, U.S. Justice Department officials offered a $2 million reward for information leading to the capture of the alleged cocaine kingpin.

His arrest comes on the heels of another big blow against the drug cartels. Ignacio "Nacho" Coronel Villareal, a principal leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel, was killed during a military raid in July.

More than 28,000 people have died in drug-related violence since Mexican President Felipe Calderon intensified the government's fight against drug cartels and organized crime after taking office in December 2006, according to government figures. The president is under increasing pressure to show results.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/08/31/mex ... gletoolbar

Is this guy an Anchor Baby?

Originally Posted by lccat

Is this guy an Anchor Baby?

I think I read somewhere that his parents were legal immigrants to the U.S., making him NOT an anchor babiy.
I'm looking for that info now.

Edgar Valdez Villarreal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Édgar Valdés Villarreal

Born August 11, 1973
Laredo, Texas, USA
Other names La Barbie
Occupation Drug trafficking, hitman
Known for Drug cartel lieutenant

[edit] Biography
Edgar was a Texas high school football standout. He later started selling marijuana on the streets of Laredo. A former counterterrorism agent with the U.S. State Department said "He's a kid you would not expect, coming from a nice family, upper-middle class, living the American dream. The next thing you know, he's swallowed up in this narco business and has become highly successful."[7][8] Minor scrapes with the law followed: drunken driving, speeding, public intoxication. All the while, Valdez worked as a small-time street dealer. . .

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MEXICANS - THE MOST VIOLENT CULTURE IN THE HEMISPHERE! - L.A. TIMES

http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-1110181.html

In Mexico, skepticism that arrest of Edgar Valdez Villarreal – 'La Barbie' – will stem drug trade

Mexican officials arrested Edgar Valdez Villarreal – known as 'La Barbie' – an alleged senior leader in a drug trafficking cartel. That's good news for President Calderón, but there's skepticism it will make a dent in growing drug violence.

By Sara Miller Llana, Staff writer / August 31, 2010
Mexico City

After weeks of fear and violence, the mood in Mexico shifted Tuesday, a day after the capture of Edgar “La Barbieâ€