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Friday, October 21, 2022

Tamaulipas Police Commander Colluded With Gulf, Zetas Cartels Released From US Prison and Resides in Texas

"Morogris" for Borderland Beat (formerly "MX")


Gilberto Lerma Plata, a Tamaulipas State Police commander and cousin of former Tamaulipas governor Manuel Cavazos Lerma, was silently released from a US prison earlier this year. His expected release date was March 2023, but he was released over a year earlier, federal records show.

Lerma-Plata started his police career in 1993 in Tamaulipas when his cousin served as Governor of Tamaulipas under the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). During his tenure Lerma-Plata served as police commander in Reynosa and Miguel Alemán, two important posts in Tamaulipas.

During the late 1990s, while still employed by the state police, Lerma-Plata started collaborating with the Gulf Cartel along with Samuel Flores Borrego (AKA Metro 3, M3, and/or M-3) and Aurelio Cano Flores (AKA El Yankee and/or El Yeyo).* Both Metro 3 and El Yankee reported to Lerma-Plata when they were police officers and eventually left the force and became top cartel figures.

According to court records, Gilberto Lerma Plata was the godfather of one of Samuel Flores Borrego's children. 

According to US investigators, Lerma-Plata received bribery payments from La Compañía (English: The Company), a name that collectively referred to the co-organization of the Gulf Cartel and its former paramilitary group Los Zetas, in exchange for immunity across Tamaulipas. Lerma-Plata distributed these payments with other police commanders in Miguel Aleman, Camargo, Valle Hermoso, San Fernando, and Ciudad Victoria, and communicated messages to them that came directly from legendary cartel boss Osiel Cardenas Guillen.

Mexican authorities also confirmed that these payments were distributed to multiple politicians in Tamaulipas. Sources consulted by Borderland Beat confirmed that the politicians were Miguel Aleman mayor Raul Rodriguez Barrera (AKA El Chupon) and ex-governor Tomas Yarrington.

Arrest and conviction

In April 2012, while crossing the McAllen–Hidalgo–Reynosa International Bridge from Mexico, Lerma-Plata was sent to secondary inspection after a US customs officer ran his information in their database. Lerma-Plata was then notified he was wanted in the US for drug trafficking and arrested. He was not aware of his US charges because they were sealed in a US District Court for the District of Columbia (DDC) federal indictment.

While Lerma-Plata's attorneys claimed that he played a minor role in the cartel, US prosecutors doubled down on his involvement and said he played an "aggressive" role within the Gulf Cartel. US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said he used violence, intimidation, and corruption to further the Gulf Cartel's agenda.

The following year, Lerma-Plata was sentenced to 151 months in prison (roughly 12.5 years) for his marijuana trafficking charges. In addition to his sentence, he was ordered to forfeit US$10 billion in drug profits. This amount was decided after the prosecution proved that this was the gross profit amount the Gulf Cartel made in sales between 2006 and 2011.

In 2019, Lerma-Plata appealed his sentence and requested it to be reduced. He was originally sentenced under a US Federal Sentencing Guideline that ranged between 151 and 188 months in prison. He was requesting for it to be revised for a range between 121 and 151 months. The reason was because the federal sentencing guidelines were changed in the US after his conviction and his defensed argued that Lerma-Plata was eligible for a new sentencing range (since his original offense fell under the 121 and 151-month range in the new revision).

Although Lerma-Plata was commended for his good behavior, his request was denied. The court said that circumstances of his crimes and the seriousness of the offenses were not enough to reduce his sentence. In addition, the court reminded Lerma-Plata that he agreed that his 151-month conviction was appropriate when he was originally sentenced.

His release in January 2022, per Federal Bureau of Prisons records, indicates that Lerma-Plata may have appealed the decision again and received a favorable outcome.

Possible whereabouts

Lerma-Plata was not deported to Mexico unlike other Mexican cartel bosses because he also held US citizenship. Sources consulted by Borderland Beat said that he was born in Brownsville, Texas, in 1962 and studied in Brownsville up until high school. Our source shared the address in Brownsville that he cited as his residence during his court hearings.

Given the severity of his crimes and the period he was involved with the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas, Lerma-Plata likely faces imminent danger in Mexico should he return. The Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas are no longer a co-organization and both groups have experienced fragmentation over the years.

Cartel members like Lerma-Plata who are released from prison or return to Mexico after several years face danger from old grudges and new criminal players. The source consulted by Borderland Beat confirmed that Lerma-Plata currently resides in Brownsville and rarely  if ever  visits Mexico. 

It is unclear if Lerma-Plata has any outstanding charges in Mexico. He did not have any charges when he was arrested in 2012, but there is a possibility that Mexican prosecutors gathered evidences against him after US authorities unsealed the indictment.

Footnote (*): The alias El Yeyo was also used by former Miguel Aleman cartel boss Edelio López Falcón.

Note: This article includes excerpts from the Wikipedia page of Gilberto Lerma Plata, which was published by Borderland Beat reporter "Morogris" in August 2019. It includes over 25 sources.

Image credit: Special thanks to HEARST for the illustrations.

63 comments:

  1. Did R1 kill Metro 3?

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    Replies
    1. No one knows but that’s a strong theory. R1 was overlooked as the Reynosa plaza boss and that got M3 killed.

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    2. Didn't m3 get killed because he killed one of L40s (z40) friends?

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    3. Billy - that was the triggering point of that ignited the Zetas v CDG war. But general consensus is Metro 3 died in CDG infighting. But yes, the possibly of it being the Zs is also there.

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    4. That started the beef between CDG and Los Zetas. M3 killed Concord 3 on orders from El Coss after Concord 3 refused to come over to the CDG. L-40 wanted M-3 head. Coss ignored the threat and the killings started all over Tamps.

      -La Plata-


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    5. @laplata almost right. Concord was killed by metro bc he kidnapped a dentist who was compadres with metro 3. CDG arrived and rescued the dentist and took concord. At that point he was tortured. Once 40 seen he had been tortured gave them 30 days to hand over metro 3 and R1. Bc R1 was the one who did the fire fight to rescue the dentist and take concord to begin with. 40 waited 20 days and kidnapped 27 CDG and killed them. War Began

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    6. Supposedly M3 was killed by Pelochas and someone else. Not by their hand but they’re the ones that sent the hitmen from my understanding. Then they blamed it on R1. They supposedly were trying to get rid of the top people from CDG cause they wanted to be the bosses. They had M4 killed and he was spreading rumors about Gringo Mike and that’s why Mario Pelon killed him. They were saying he was secretly aligned with the Zetas when in reality he was one of the main ones smashing on them. That group of traitorous (pelochas n company) did alot of unitended damage to the cartel. They were turning in their own people, all kinds of bs. They were doing all that bit@¡ sh@¿ for years. I got that line from someone who stays over there. It makes sense though from how he told it.

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    7. Pelochas wasn't even with the Metros at that time.

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    8. 2:44 interesting info. Pelonchas was also the weak individual who was crying when he was sentenced for illegal entry/re-entry by an immigration judge. I think this happened after Beto Fave was killed for letting his brother, who stayed with the Zetas when the war started, roam in Moros. Maybe these traitors also betrayed Mellado?

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  2. How many were killed because of this guy giving info to the cartel,perhaps even abducting for them.Sick.

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  3. Hola MX. Where have you been ? Long time no see. Miss your in depth CDG research. It’s good to see you back with the rest of the crew… be safe out there and thanks for the work you put to piecing this together. Saludos from the old BB foro.

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    Replies
    1. It's really nice to see him back, isn't it?

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    2. Man Mx, missed your input. Hopefully you stick around. Your post were always A1. And there is a lack of coverage on CDG in a major way on this site and I know that was your stomping grounds and stomp you did. Keep up the good work and keep it coming.
      From:
      An appreciative fan

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    3. Mx and la Plata in the same thread. Both CDG encyclopedias!

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  4. Is it possible he was released early after…”Biden to pardon all federal marijuana charges”???

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    1. This guy was part of a violent cartel that killed lots of people. Maybe his hands didn’t directly pull the trigger but if you read the Wiki BB wrote the DA was very clear on how Lerma was to receive no leniency due to abusing his powers as a cop and being part of a extremely violent group. I get this was weed, but This guy is a piece of shit.

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    2. Yeah that little bs Biden is doing will affect maybe 7 people. Really. It’s only for possession how many people do you think are locked up for federal possession of marijuana. And I agree 100% people like him should not get a break. He was greedy and his greed caused unheard of pain.

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    3. If you think he's shit tell him to his face...

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    4. All of you are pussys tell him to he's face

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    5. 10:29 His face looks like stepped over shit on a fat ugly thin armed guy with a fat belly,
      spare me the prieto.

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    6. He was my cellie over in Forrest City Arkansas, I like guy I wish I could find him

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    7. He's my friend wish I could talk to him, we were locked up in the feds together, call me out, say something clever to me

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  5. Lucky guy since he had US citizenship. Probably will only be able to work shitty jobs if he didn’t get to keep some money (looks like he didn’t based on the article), but at least he’s alive. Cousin of a former Governor… damn, Mexico is deep in this stuff.

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    1. He’ll make a great rent a cop, security guard, bouncer, somewhere in the 956 rgv Valley in South Texas, maybe a titty bar putero like jaguars or one of them bars on 17th street in downtown McAllen or ojos locos or at mr Culichi or fuegos or taboo

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    2. Pretty sure you can’t be a security guard or hold any job of that after you were a convicted felon and former corrupt cop. 10:43

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    3. 8:42 former governors Manuel Cavazos Lerma of tamaulipas and manlio fabio beltrones from sonora were the senators cooking the laws for EPN's "reforma energetica" that gifted Mexican Oil to foreigners, in exchange for US dropping charges of drug trafficking and money laundering against them...
      y entonces llegó AMLO

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    4. EPN is Enrique Puñetas Nieto.

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    5. @11:33 im sure he’ll make a great bouncer at any South Texas watering hole and/or titty bar with no background check necessary!

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    6. He will still have a better job than any of you all pieces of shit 🤣🤣

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    7. 110:30 are you his favorite niece?

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  6. 10 billion 😂🤣

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    1. You would think it was a typo but nope… Uncle Sam went for all the marbles. I’m sure the guy if he’s in Brownsville is broke as fuck…

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  7. If he successfully appealed his sentence, it would be a public record. Most likely, he cooperated extensively. He pled down giving him a significant reduction in his sentence which also suggests that he provided significant assistance to the U.S. government.

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    1. 9:00 I admire your perspicacy, but since shit just got worse all over tamaulipas and tejas, I suspect "EL Comandante Tejano" gilberto lerma plata went and fed a lot of BS to our primos del norte...
      (Primos means pendejos in spanish)

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  8. Interesting to read that this guy was above M3 when M3 was in the police. Literally Lerma Plata was M3 boss. Comes to show he was indeed a top dog but played it safe by being a cop instead of full blown narco. I’m sure M3 made way more money by leaving the police and also more power. How I see things:

    1. Stay in the police: Less pay even with bribes. Moderate power. Stability, less heat. (Gilberto)

    2. Leave to Cartel: More pay, but less stability and more heat. More power if you’re at the top (M3)

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    1. 10:40 in mexican police, if you do not cooperate, you die,
      but you find out too late.
      Pax Americana style

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    2. SIR, in Mexico many men join the police specifically to get in a cartel's payroll then, when they're caught, they lie "I was forced, lead or silver".

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    3. 6:35 Was like that like 20 years ago... Now days you just need an attorney general and governor on payroll. 40 sicarios vs 2-3 police man, they prefer to say alive and no need to spend on bribes like it used to be.

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    4. Attorney Generals and governors have no payroll and take no bribes, these days they own all the shit and get work done for free or people dies.
      Melitary and police have their own ops too, that helps everybody killing each other.

      Delete
  9. Will they garnish his wages from the car wash until he has paid the 10 billion?

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  10. Gulf Cartel So Powerful Even after it’s frictions within their cells Matamoros Cell Over Primito Reynosa Cell

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  11. el regreso del rey mx

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  12. Impressive research, mx, welcome back. Surprised cannabis is worth that sum of money

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  13. MX,

    I am very happy to see your name back on the front page.

    Really well done on this! Your encyclopedic knowledge really shows here. Learned a lot reading this.

    Do you think we will ever get confirmation from the gov on why he was released?

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  14. Another sick, corrupt American flocking up Mexico! 1000s of them like z40 and his Trevino family and La Barbie!

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    Replies
    1. So much hatred for America.

      Delete
    2. 11:02 Big Tooth for Nuts says: "another corrupt american"
      Learn to read and don't spread your shit to all of America, güey.

      Delete
    3. @11:02 Just the truth amigo! Maybe open some eyes and minds!

      Delete
    4. 11:56 Majority of the Articles are Mexico related and the nuts Truther, always has to throw in about America.
      Oh but America has bad cars

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    5. 657
      His ass got deported to Mexico.

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    6. @11:56 u must be a member of the Trevino clan!

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    7. BNTruther is more aware of what's going on in the currupt drug game that 90% of people I'm this blog.

      Delete
    8. 1:53 Truther why you got Deported?
      What you do wrong.

      Delete
  15. MX!! great to have you back this is Char…

    The same question is being ask again if R-1 killed Sr. M-3 the answer is yes. R-1 first worked under El Coss was his lieutenant then was sent to Reynosa to worked under M-3 and obviously became his right hand top lieutenant. El Coss ordered R-1 to kill M-3. Sr. Osiel ordered anyone connected with the death of M-3 to be killed except for El Coss but was kicked out of Matamoros.

    Metro 4, Sr. Mario Pelón X-20, Pakito
    M-77, Mellado, all lead the killings with anyone connected with the death of M-3.

    -Ivan

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  16. I would venture to guess that it is disconcerting being released when everyone who was a player in your time is dead and gone

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  17. Who cares? Just another corrupt cop working for some clown criminal as his errand boy. Big deal? Pendejos.por.que.se.dejan.


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    1. Well unknown, did you know they're sephonoas Mr. T in America, he says he is not in trouble.

      Big nut Truther

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    2. Thats beyond a corrupt cop.

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  18. i heard gilberto has a nephew that runs the whole city of Brownsville his name is ruben sanchez aka pinky he used to be an enforcer for la mana in matamoros

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    Replies
    1. Pinche panochon

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    2. Not true at all!!

      Delete
    3. Those of you with negative comments know nothing at all!!

      Delete

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