Cartels, Conspiracies, and Camarena

Episode 110: The Trial of El Menchito

In this Episode, I re-cap the recent news and events in the ongoing war between Los Chapitos and MZ in Culiacan.
Then I discuss the trial of El Menchito who was convicted in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia this week.  In particular, I examine the witnesses against El Menchito, including cooperating witnesses with both reasons to testify for the government and, in several cases, deep opposition to the CJNG and El Mencho.
Finally, I draw parallels between El Menchito's trial and the trials of Ruben Zuno Arce, and I express my concerns over the potential for the desire for convictions to overwhelm the commitment to justice.  

Episode 109: Did Mayito Flaco Declare War on Los Chapitos?

In this news report Episode, we discuss the violent confrontations between "armed civilians" rocking Culiacan since early morning.
Most significantly, we look at the many reports of audio recordings confirming that Ismael Zambada Sicairos ("Mayito Flaco"), the presumed leader of the Mayo Zambada faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, has authorized or instructed his hitmen to attack Los Chapitos in Culiacan. 
We also consider whether this is the "war" some expected after Joaquin Guzman apparently duped El Mayo into a meeting and abducted him, eventually flying El Mayo to the US and into the custody of the FBI.   

Episode 108: What Happened in Culiacan and the El Mayo Case Keeps Getting "Curiouser and Curiouser"

In this Labor Day edition of the podcast, I look at three interesting developments in the last few days. First, I discuss Osiel Cardenas Guillen's release from federal prison.  Specifically, I discuss the fact that he was placed in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the reports that he will be turned over to Mexican authorities on Monday.
Second, I look into reports that Jorge Humberto Figueroa Benitez (El 27 or El Perris), who, according to some, replaced El Nini, was the one who physically tied up El Mayo and put him in the back of the pickup truck. I also consider whether this indicates a larger role for Los Chapitos in addition to Joaquin, particularly in light of recent stories that Ovidio Guzman has been placed into the witness protection program. 
Finally, we consider the violent clashes in Culiacan late last week, the premature rumors of Ivan's capture, and who the real targets of the Mexican military might have been.   

Episode 107: Who Really are Government Witnesses Jorge Godoy and Rene Lopez Romero?

The government's case in the Zuno II trial rested largely on the testimony of two former Jalisco State Police officers, Jorge Godoy and Rene Lopez Romero.  In this Episode, I look into the backgrounds of these two men and specifically discuss their admissions to having been employed by Ernesto Fonseca and witnesses to and participants in various crimes including the torture and murder of American citizens.  Moreover, Lopez even claimed to have participated in the abduction of Agent Camarena and nevertheless received money and immunity for his testimony.   
I also look at the highly dubious timing of statements from both men implicating Ruben Zuno Arce, coming only days after the affirmance of the new trial order and after many DEA interviews without implicating Zuno.  
Finally, I discuss the untold number of witnesses presented to the DEA and the unknown amount of money paid to potential and actual witnesses, including Godoy and Lopez. 

Episode 106: Neither the Alleged Conspiracy Meetings nor the Witnesses are Credible

In the two Zuno trials, prosecution witness testified to several alleged conspiracy meetings to discuss and plan the abduction of Agent Camarena.  In this episode, we assess the credibility of those allegations and of the witnesses themselves.  
Specifically, we discuss the number of alleged meetings (as many as 10 over 3-4 months), the number of people at the alleged meetings (more than 70), the high-profile people alleged to have been at some of the meetings, the inconsistencies between the testimony regarding the alleged meetings between Zuno I and Zuno, and, finally, the internal inconsistencies within the Zuno II testimony of Jorge Godoy. 

Episode 105: The Camarena Abduction: Reaching Some Conclusions

Today's Episode concludes my three-part analysis of the abduction of Agent Camarena from outside the America consulate. 
Specifically, in this Episode I reach some conclusions regarding the abduction including conclusions regarding the participation and statements of Rene Lopez Romero, the veracity of Agent Berrellez's discussions on the abduction, and the participation of Caro Quintero.  Finally, I discuss the near perfect timing of the abductors and the questions presented by that timing.  

Episode 103: The El Mayo Arrest: Reports, Rumors, and Analysis

Again this week, the arrests of El Mayo and Joaquin Guzman Lopez have dominated the cartel-related conversation.  In this Episode, I look at the latest reports and rumors regarding the events that lead to the plane carrying El Mayo and Joaquin landing in New Mexico and the two men being taken into custody.
I then discuss the possible power vacuum created by El Mayo's arrest and refer to articles from two experts on the issue. 
Finally, I review letters from Senator Chuck Grassley written to several officials raising the specter of inter-agency rivalry that led to stand down orders when investigators had gotten close to capturing Alfredo Guzman and other Chapitos.

Episode 103: El Mayo Arrested: What Happened and What It Means

The HUGE news this week was the arrest of Ismael Zambada (El Mayo), a leader and founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, son of El Chapo and one of Los Chapitos.
In this Episode, I discuss the known facts about the arrests and consider the primary theories on how the arrests occurred.   I also look at what the arrests could mean for the stability of the CDS, and the potential for power grabs by CJNG and other cartels. 
Finally, I examine the abduction of Dr. Humberto Alvarez Machain from Mexico, U.S. Supreme Court decisions regarding his abduction and the extradition treaty between the United States and Mexico, and how that precedent might apply to the rendition of El Mayo.

Episode 102: The Camarena Kidnapping: The Inconsistent and Irreconcilable "Witnesses"

Many of the alleged witnesses to the abduction of Agent Camarena case provide narratives of the abduction that are both inconsistent over time and irreconcilable with each other. 
In this Episode, I explore these inconsistencies focusing in particular on the names of the alleged participants, descriptions of the abduction location, and the some of the alleged details about the abduction, including the alleged participation of a consulate employee who, one alleged witness claims, identified Agent Camarena to his abductors.   

Episode 101: The Camarena Kidnapping: The Timeframes That Don't Add Up

In this Episode, I examine the abduction of Agent Camarena, focusing particularly on the timeline of events surrounding the abduction.  
Initially, I discuss the known facts that present a narrow, and very specific, time frame when the abduction could have occurred.
Next, I look at the statements of alleged witnesses and others regarding the timeline for the abduction.  This analysis demonstrates that none of these statements appear to fit within the required timeframe, calling into question the veracity and credibility of these sources.