"Socalj" for Borderland Beat
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On November 28, 2022, Borderland Beat discovered that Edgar "La Barbie" Valdez-Villarreal was listed as "Not in BOP Custody" via the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator search. Due to the timing, it was largely believed that "La Barbie" would be a key witness against Genaro Garcia Luna in New York.
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This was not the case, as today the prosecution and defense teams gave their closing arguments and the decision of Luna's guilt or innocence goes to the jury. La Barbie did not testify, though his name was brought up during the testimonies of other witnesses.
Most notably, former federal police officer Francisco Cañedo Zavaleta, assured during his testimony that he saw a meeting between Genaro García Luna with Arturo Beltrán Leyva, El Barbas, and La Barbie. Luna has denied ever meeting with any cartel figure. Prosecutors were planning on calling nearly 70 witnesses but ended their case with only 27. It is not known if one of those witnesses that did not testify was "La Barbie."
Either way, on the day the trial was sent to the jury, "La Barbie's" status was updated to show that he is back in the custody of the federal prison USP Coleman 2 in Florida where he had been serving his 50-year prison sentence prior to being removed from BOP's custody late last year.
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| "La Barbie's" BOP status as shown on November 28, 2022. |
Two days prior, on February 14th as the final witness against Luna, "El Rey" Zambada began his testimony; we checked on "La Barbie's" status. He was still shown as "Not in BOP Custody."
We may never know the exact reason why he did not testify against Garcia Luna. The most likely reason would be his not getting a sentence reduction and/or witness protection that worked for him in exchange for his testimony. It could also be that the prosecution decided that they did not need to call him as his testimony would be similar to others that had testified in previous trials and therefore could be seen as more credible to the jury.
It could also have been that "La Barbie" changed his mind. He allegedly cooperated with both Mexican and US authorities before his arrest in 2010.
Previously, it had been believed that Villarreal would testify against Mochomo, Alfredo Beltran Leyva in his trial that took place in 2016, but it was not the case then either as Alfredo pleaded guilty, but later tried to appeal his life sentence. This was a year after "La Barbie" was extradited to the US but several years before he received his 49-year sentence after he pleaded guilty in early 2016.
Sources BOP, Borderland Beat
I thought for sure this would be his get out of jail free card. Socalj, any idea why he would have signed such a shitty plea agreement?
ReplyDeleteDid he have a choice?
DeleteLive a fast life you'll die fast, spend decades in prison or snitch.
He's back after sunbathing and drinking chelas in Miami. He was disguised as a "haina" with wig and makeup to not arouse suspicion.
DeletePlea agreement? No mms. He’s lucky he didn’t get LIFE
DeleteWho the hell cares about this failed drug trafficking piece of shit. Barbies fanboys shld be ashamed.
ReplyDeleteLa Burpie?
ReplyDeleteLa Barbie . The original Mata Zeta . He killed Zetas like roaches
ReplyDeleteIs that why he was pleading Botas Blancas to convince the Zetas not to kill him and one of the reasons he let himself get caught was because the Zetas were on his ass.
DeleteMichoacános are the real matazetas!
DeleteMichoacanos were zetas lmao
Delete6:42
Delete“Lmao” how, why, or when were Michoacános zetas? Your dumb asf!
Michoacános gave the zetas a real good ass whooping!
6:42 clearly is a rookie.. and never heard of Carlos Rosales Mendoza.
DeleteYou know, the founder of LFM? Same one who had a truce with Osiel AND the Zetas…
Told ya guys.. he is enjoying that tan near Miami!
ReplyDeleteHe is no where close to Miami
DeleteWow, i assumed i missed his statement at the trial but no he never showed up. Thats weird, they would not remove him from the BOP list without offering something regarding his sentence. And GGL betrayed him despite the bribes as far as i understand so why not take the stand? Or did he fucked up days prior. Dont have a good feeling, that might end up with time served for GGL. There was not so much substantial and to exclude the time when he left office, come on guys…you keep on the breaks while in office and when you leave you move to america with the money and go wild.
ReplyDeleteThe fate anthrax el chino awaits la barbie imo
ReplyDeleteNah. Barbie wouldn’t go back to Mexico. sinaloans miss Mexico too much. Tamaulipecos not really since they grow up with US next to them. Salu2
DeleteI hate all the baseless comments here..
Delete@11:52 — can you provide at least one example of why?
Barbie was way bigger than your hero, made far more money, and was likely an insider-agent-friend of Chapo the entire time… likely still is, since his son and one of Chapo’s kids hangout all the time (posting pics online).
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DeleteI believe Barbie is a U.S. citizen.
DeleteYes he is a US citizen, born in Texas.
DeleteI can’t see la Barbie making more money than Chino.The chicken truck smuggling routes but Chino past La Barbie.
DeleteHe gave up a lot of information. I believe he got some type of deal. He is scheduled to be released when he is about 80 years old. I believe he will get out long before then.
ReplyDeleteWow that’s like an hour from me lol that sooooo cooool lmfao
ReplyDeleteWhat’s so funny bro? I don’t get it
Delete4:17
DeleteIt's a reddit nino, he laughs at his own shadow.
The real reason he wasn't called to testify...is because his testimony could have implicated Calderon...he was the only one 2 have had meetings with GGL Arturo B.L.....I think GGL is gonna walk on a hung jury
ReplyDeleteAnd why not implicate Calderon?
DeleteYeah why not calderon?
DeleteIt's too big of a scandal to implicate a head of state...an then not 2 go after him....remember pres. Samper in colombia
DeleteReread the questions from his atty and the prosecutor objecting to the current president being mentioned in Reynaldo Zambadas testimony. That's the importance
Delete@ Resistance 1981, Calderon was already implicated during the trial so I don't think that was the reason Barbie wasn't called, and El Grande already linked Arturo with Luna. Barbies record of desperately trying to sell his intelligence to multiple agencies would have left his testimony wide open for a good defence attorney to exploit, especially since their defence was all about shifty cartel leaders looking to get their sentences reduced. (According to the DEA documents he went from asking for immunity and being allowed to keep his money if he detailed all of his dealings with corrupt officials, to him agreeing to deliver either Chapo or Arturo and keeping some of his money, right down to begging for protection.) I hope you're wrong about him walking on a hung jury, but I think you might be right. I hope he gets hung by a hung-over jury.
DeletePeople seem to not realize that Trial Conviction rate is approximately 95%. The chances of this dude beating this trial are very slim.
ReplyDeleteFor the feds it’s 99%…
Deletewe know the 95%+ but he should never get out of jail and thats what i dont see, he will get less then 10 years at the end, i am pretty sure.
DeleteIn the federal system, only 2% of cases go to trial, most plead guilty. Of those going to trial, 17% are found innocent, the 83% are found guilty so it’d be rare if he isn’t convicted.
DeleteEither they felt like they didn't need it, and it seems like they probably did or there were some credibility issues with his testimony that would have looked good for Garcia Luna on cross.
ReplyDeleteJ to your knowledge did any of the government's witnesses say they personally gave bribes to GGL? From what I read here, even Reynaldo Zambada said he had heard the bribes he, Mayo and their allies paid were to GGL but he couldn't testify to personally handing them to him.
DeleteTo the best of my immediate knowledge, multiple witnesses did, including Sergio Villareal, Oscar Valencia-Nava, and Rey Zambada.
DeleteJ is correct on those 3. 7 witnesses testified to having met or worked with Luna in some fashion. Only those 3 stated they paid him money directly at some point.
DeleteDonde Ken?
ReplyDeleteBarbie doesn't need Ken since she bought a vibrator.
DeleteAccording to former prisoner Nate A. Lindell, USP Coleman II was a so-called “special needs prison”. He described it as a safe facility where all types of offenders can walk the yard freely. This includes ex-cops, former gang members, informants, homosexuals, sex offenders, and check-ins. In regular prisons, these inmates are at great risk of being beaten, strangled, or stabbed to death.
ReplyDeleteIt is a special needs yard now a days. It wasn’t always like that. And Coleman I is not a special needs yard. Tucson and Lewisburg are two other main X’d out prisons. But don’t be fooled. Every Prison has hot inmates.
DeleteLa Barbie is one of the greatest Narcos of all time. I love his story. Except when he got arrested.
ReplyDelete12:03:
DeleteI don't believe there is any such thing as a great narco. They are all a bunch of murderers, rapists and the typical pond scum. Barbie may have been a great cooperating witness, but never a great narco.
I really hope all these cartel freaks dies. They are nothing but rats and cockroaches who needs to be exterminated! A pest who deserve their miserable life in poverty.
ReplyDelete