Kate Hotze Professor Shelley PUBP 710 April 2009

Kate Hotze
Professor Shelley
PUBP 710
April 2009
Source: http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/fugitives/la/felix-gallardo.htm
Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo
Born 1946
In Sinaloa, Mexico
Dubbed the Godfather of Mexican drug
smuggling
Smuggled cocaine and revolutionized drug
business in Mexico
Is uncle of Arellano Felix Brothers
Other famous drug smugglers in Mexico
Source: http://www.geocities.com/OrganizedCrimeSyndicates/TAFelixCartel.html
Source: pickatrail.com
Sinaloa Police Officer in 1970s
Helped Rafael Caro Quintero and Ernesto
Fonseca Carrillo rise to top of Guadalajara
drug trade for marijuana
Caro Quintero is known in conjunction with the
“Bust of the Century”
Bodyguard for Governor Leopoldo Sanchez
Celis
Allowed for him to meet influential people in
Sinaloa so his drug trade could flourish
Source: World Encyclopedia of Organized Crime, p. 163, PBS
Concurrent to the US crack down on drugs –
“South Florida Drug Task Force” because of
Miami’s issues
Cocaine moved from being routed through
South Florida to Mexico
Source: World Encyclopedia of Organized Crime, p. 163, PBS, “The Three Mexico-US
Wars”
El Padrino realized cocaine was key to drug
trade, not marijuana or heroin
Cocaine from laboratories was harder to detect than
marijuana crops on the ground
Since 1970s, had been able to consolidate many small
smuggling operations
Was ready in terms of infrastructure to work with
Colombian cocaine dealers
Used Mexico airstrips and pacific seaports to create
pipeline to the U.S.
Political connections were used for protection
Source: http://www.geocities.com/OrganizedCrimeSyndicates/TAFelixCartel.html
Joined forces with Honduran chemist Juan
Ramon Matta Ballesteros for production
Ballesteros was in with the Medellin Cartel
Teamed up with Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo
(“Don Neto”), Pablo Escobar and Carlo
Lehderer
Had hold on entire drug trade in Latin America
Sat on Board of Directors of SOMEX Bank’s
northern regional center
Source: http://www.geocities.com/OrganizedCrimeSyndicates/TAFelixCartel.html
Source: The State Police of Virginia
Laundered money through BOA San Diego
Cocaine profits were taken from West Coast by
truck to Guadalajara
Then wired back to BOA
El Padrino had his own money launderer,
Tomas Valles Corral
Would withdraw money in sums of 40 & 50K/
transaction (~20 million/month)
This money was then sent to suppliers in
Colombia
Source: http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/fugitives/la/felix-gallardo.htm
DEA Agent Enrique Camarena is murdered
It is widely believed El Padrino was
responsible for his murder
Operation “Leyenda”
Caro Quintero and Fonseca Carrillo are
arrested, but it doesn’t phase El Padrino
Rather, he can now expand operations
▪ In Europe, as well as Tegucigalpa (residence of his
chemist, Juan Ramon Matta Ballesteros)
Source: “The War On Drugs”, p.73, Chepesiuk, Ron.
Canceled checks gave DEA insight into scope of
operation
Was captured in Culiacan, Mexico 4/8/89
Outside of Guadalajara
Imprisoned for charges related to DEA Agent’s
kidnapping and murder
Assets at time of arrest:
Estimated Worth of $500,000,000.00
Owned 50 homes, 200 ranches, a pharmacy, and a
hotel
1979: Board of Directors for SOMEX Banks
Source: “The War On Drugs”, p.73, Chepesiuk, Ron.
Kidnapping and murder of a federal agent
Racketeering
Violent crimes in aid of racketeering
Conspiracy to commit violent crimes in aid of
racketeering
Conspiracy to kidnap a federal agent
Aiding and abetting
Accessory after the fact
Possession and conspiracy to possess with intent
to distribute cocaine
Source: http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/fugitives/la/felix-gallardo.htm
Still maintained active drug trade from prison
through 1990s
Via cell phone and messengers
His lieutenants were vying for ownership of his
cartel
He instructed them to divide by territory to fight
the US, the “real enemy”
Was finally moved to a maximum highsecurity prison in 1990s
Source: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/mexico/readings/lupsha.html, “The Three Mexico-US Wars”
Source: The State Police of Virginia
Source: The State Police of Virginia
Source: “The Three Mexico-US Wars”, http://a4cgr.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/drug-cartels.jpg
DEA
PBS, “Frontline”
World Encyclopedia of Organized Crime
“The War On Drugs”
“The Three Mexico-US Border Wars”