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on the border line between the US and Mexico
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Friday, January 5, 2024

New Photo of Gulf Cartel Leader Osiel Cárdenas Emerges Months Before His Scheduled Prison Release

"Morogris" for Borderland Beat

Osiel Cardenas-Guillen (pictured on the right) alongside an unidentified U.S. federal prison inmate. This photo was reportedly taken on December 15, 2023, and surfaced on social media a few days ago. The caption reads: "My brother with his friend Osiel Cárdenas." 

A photograph circulating on social media depicts the purported current appearance of Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, the former leader of the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas, currently incarcerated in the US.

In the image, Cardenas Guillen is seen posing with another inmate who has not been identified. The ex-leader of the Gulf Cartel is dressed in a T-shirt and gray pants, paired with tennis shoes and a white watch. Meanwhile, his fellow inmate is wearing khaki pants, a gray long-sleeved shirt, and white tennis shoes.

Cardenas Guillen served as the top leader of the Gulf Cartel from 1999 to 2003. During his leadership, he recruited several ex-military members to establish the cartel's paramilitary wing, Los Zetas. At the peak of his influence, he became one of the most sought-after international fugitives. Arrested in Mexico in 2003, Cárdenas Guillén was subsequently extradited to the U.S. in 2007.

Initially sentenced to 25 years in prison without the possibility of parole in 2010, his sentence has undergone multiple reductions. As per the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), Cárdenas Guillén's anticipated release date is set for August 30, 2024. He is currently in the USP Terre Haute in Indiana.

The name of Osiel Cárdenas Guillén has been misspelled as "Oziel" for many years in the database of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons. We cannot confirm if this was intentional. Borderland Beat was able to verify that his name was sometimes spelled as Oziel in older U.S. federal documents dating from the 1990s.

Imprisonment in the U.S.

When Cárdenas Guillén was extradited from Mexico to the U.S. in 2007, his location in the U.S. remained undisclosed. Subsequent court records revealed that his legal team successfully arranged for him to be held in two federal penitentiaries in Atlanta and Florida, affording him certain privileges.

In 2010, U.S. Federal Judge Hilda Tagle sentenced Cárdenas Guillén to 25 years in prison without parole. Following the sentencing, he was transferred to the notorious ADX Florence, a supermax facility known for housing the most dangerous inmates. Despite initially being scheduled for release in 2035, this date was later reduced to 2028 and further to 2025, accounting for his time served in Mexican custody and in the U.S. before his formal sentence.

Post-release questions

As a Mexican national without legal status in the U.S., Cárdenas Guillén should theoretically be deported to Mexico after serving his sentence (often termed as "No lawful return to the U.S." in court files). However, unlike other Gulf Cartel members indicted with him, the U.S. government did not order Cárdenas Guillén's removal from the U.S. after his sentence concludes.

Cárdenas Guillén provided valuable information to U.S. officials on the Gulf Cartel, Los Zetas, and their rivals in exchange for a milder sentence. His testimonies were instrumental to law enforcement efforts and contributed to weakening the influence of his cartel. However, they also had unintended consequences.

The information he provided played a role in generating violence in Mexico as his cartel experienced schisms and fractures. If Cárdenas Guillén returns to Mexico, he is likely to face imminent danger. U.S. prosecutors have often dangled the incentive of U.S. visas before high-ranking Mexican drug kingpins to persuade them to become informants.

Moreover, it is likely that Cárdenas Guillén does not face drug charges in Mexico. According to Article 15 of the Extradition Treaty between Mexico and the U.S., the Mexican government will not extradite a Mexican national unless multiple conditions are met. Among these conditions are:

(1) A Mexican national cannot be extradited if facing trial or having outstanding charges in Mexico.

(2) A Mexican national can be extradited once sentenced or absolved.

(3) If the Mexican national is serving a sentence in Mexico, extradition to the U.S. is possible only on different charges, thereby avoiding double jeopardy.

As Cárdenas-Guillén was not sentenced while in Mexican custody, it implies that his charges were dropped in Mexico before his extradition to the U.S., in accordance with Article 15.

His scheduled release date is August 30, 2024.

Following the conclusion of his sentence, he will be subject to a five-year probation term and will be released from prison before reaching the age of 60.

Sources: X, Borderland Beat archives, BOP

87 comments:

  1. Dude on left better watch out. They call osiel El mata amigos for a reason. But since they in prison he might tear up his bootyhole

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  2. He'll get the same treatment as the singing Zambada.

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  3. dude been working out

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  4. Bet he gets right back out there. He’s not done. He’s coming home to instill order.

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    1. He got his ass kicked by the Eme

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    2. Let the eme try that crap in Mexico

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    3. 9:40 Nope. He stood his ground by not paying the extortion fee demanded and only when his back was turned did that eMe cholo attack him. Won't be surprised when that eMe cholo gets dealt with, especially if some uncut chiva is the payment for his life.

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    4. Stop kissing Cardenas ass.

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    5. La EME is not your typical gang of cholos resitoleros like you have in the border towns of tamaulipas.. the Cali program is better organized and with more money than any criminal group operating in Tamaulipas right now and those are FACTS !! yes your right that la EME members would be slaughtered in Mexican prisons if a war broke out but unfortunately you don’t have many MM members on an extradition list from US to Mexico unlike Mexico’s capos who almost ALL get extradited to US prisons where la EME runs the show

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    6. @6:44PM I agree. If there was a look on someone’s face that said “ I’m definitely not done “ … He’s definitely has the look . The look, all by itself tells me his intentions for when he gets released. He looks like the Mexican Jack Nicholson , when he played the Joker in Batman . 1000% he tries to reclaim his spot at the head of the table…. Whether it works out or not is a different story . I guarantee he will atleast try . Just from the evil grin on his face 😄

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    7. The reason he got beat up after he turned his back. Was because he did not pay his extortion fee, the man stood his ground. And the eme and all these prison gangs all ways send 2 or 3 guys to do their dirty work. But it’s a guarantee that these eme guys would try this on Mexico. If they did we all know what would happen.

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    8. Eme already made him his bitch
      Only thing hes getting out to is a bullet in the head

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    9. @7:46 AM No one had anything to do with how their face looks. The way you look is the product of the marriage choices made by your ancestors for thousands of years. You had nothing to do with that.
      Therefore the face is useless as an indicator of character. People can contort their face to give off any impression they choose. Killers can come smiling. Cowards can mean-mug.

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    10. Ya dont know shit stop gossping plain and simple

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    11. @7:46 Your right , the way we look when we are expressionless (face absolutely relaxed) has nothing to do with giving indicators on our character, but his face is not relaxed in the photo . He’s got a half cocked evil grin , just like the Joker . I wouldn’t call his expression a mean mug , but a mischievous murderous grin. Maybe it’s his dead shark eyes ,combined with the super ego mentality he built in his mind , that gives me indicators of his future intentions . When a person builds ego so big , where they think their invincible/untouchable , even if they were to kill DEA agents and a informant, they have a better chance winning the lottery , than learning how to let go of their ego . Especially in his case . The fact he didn't just pay the meager (it’s meager to him)extortion fee while in prison , says in his head he still believes he is a King in the narco world . In his mind , a boss would never get extorted , so his ego wouldn’t allow him to just pay the small price and go about his day . If he believes he is a Boss in his mind , why would he be so concerned about protecting his image , if he was just going to get out and live a normal life ? The reasons these kingin narcos don’t quit while their hundreds of millions of dollars ahead , is because they love their image/ego , more than they care about taking all their money and just disappearing and living a normal life .

      So maybe it was my prior knowledge of his story , that added to my original assumption 🤷‍♂️. But you can’t tell me you can look at someone like Miguel Trevino , expressionless , without knowing anything about him prior , and don’t see any indicators of his intentions. Maybe it’s the soulless shark eyes too , but also , people who feed their ego through murdering people , tend to all end up with a certain soulless expression

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    12. They prob cheap shot him instead of hitting him like men face to face ...

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    13. La EmE??? Dude what happened to El Evil from la eme??? Got his noodles pushed back.
      What just happened to that guy Dashing something?? They hung his Ass from a Bridge..... another EmE guy

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    14. @3:23 PM, that is exactly correct. Guys that have been in that line of work for so many years accumulating so much power and money while losing family members in the cross hair never give up the life because deep down inside they are never satisfied because of their EGO. It is never enough, they could ride out in the sunset with all the cash they would make but choose to always live that life because deep down they think they are bigger and badder then the next MAFIOSO.

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  5. Se parece a Tito Ortiz 😂 all playing aside . Who actually believes someone like Kena or Primito would hand over their respective CDG faction over ?

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    1. Who is the Dana White then? Lol

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    2. 7:41 good one 👍

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    3. Primito wouldn’t! Kena has to but doubt Osiel goes back to Matamoros

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    4. 9:19 you don't think the old metros and ZVE prefer Osiel over Primito? But honestly he staying in the USA

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    5. You act like the government here in TAMPs and Mx itself doesn’t have a say in whether he can try to resume control. 🤦🏻‍♂️

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    6. Very good point.

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  6. He is coming back to a flaming mess. Once a gangster, always a gangster. His family members control the crossing. He will yell at the Zetas and threaten to fire them unless they shape up. He will have sex with the hottest hoochie coochie girls. Then he will crack open a Corona and call it a day.

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    1. Hes coming back to nothing hes a rat hes staying in the US like Mayos son because they are both rats and will both be eating macaroni and ketchup well the chapitos get sodomized by the USA USA USA USA USA USA USA

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    2. Another Cardenas fangirl kissing ass

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    3. He's not going back to Mexico sorry to disappoint you cheerleaders he's going into the witness protection program Mexican Henry Hill..debe.muchas.el.way.thats the way you guys are muy.chingones.afuera.y.en.la.pinta.protectivecustody.

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  7. Old basterd looks in decent shape for his age. Prison life I guess idk. Chapo snitched

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    1. Of course he's in better shape. Ever since he got knocked the fuck out by that La Eme dude he had to start taking better care of himself. People weren't going to respect him on just his name alone.

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    2. dude he had to be seething when that happened. 🤣

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    3. Well, if he gets out Mexican Mafia bodies will drop

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    4. 836 LOL triggered!

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    5. Not a whole lot to do there in prison, friend… especially a federal one.

      Speaking of prisons, it’s interested at how he’s not at ADX anymore… in fact, he was housed at Lewisberg at one point, which is medium security.

      Terra Haute is high-level, but they have a low-security area too… Real curious as to where he is exactly.

      Why? Well who’s to say that Chapo won’t receive the same treatment?

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    6. Osiel did a lot of snitching. That’s why he got the light treatment.

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    7. @1205 — and how do we know that Chapo never will at some point?

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    8. This guy is a legend. He changed everything by militarization what once was not

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    9. 502 why are you even bringing up Chapo? Stay on topic kiddo

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    10. USP Terre Haute is a PC federal pen. .. he got sent there because he can't walk an active yards. In the feds there isn't PC units. You either walk the yard , or check in ans go to the whole and asked to be transferred to a drop out yard. And even then there has to be a confirmed threat on your safety by the prison staff , you can just check in for being scared.

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    11. 5:02
      Because Chapa was not offered a deal. They don't care what he has to offer.

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    12. 6:09 Whatever the reason he still didn’t flip i haven’t seen anywhere were it said he was offering his co operation but I’m sure that can change if his pal with the sombrero comes north

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    13. 6:09 he wasnt offered a deal cause they already have el mayo outside giving them all the info they need on the Snitch cartel, plus chapo did snitch in court, he droped the names of Garcia Luna, Peña Nieto, Felipe Calderon and a few others, so yea he snitched

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  8. Another Drug Cartel member who will get a Visa before me. La Di Da. I was accepted in 2005 and 18 years latter im still waiting for a change of status. This guy murder people by the hundreds and traffic tons of drugs and wala the U.S. dream at his feet. La Di Da.

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    1. You gotta get a lawyer to grea$e the wheels for you..
      Good luck..
      🦎

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    2. Agree get a lawyer bro. Suerte

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    3. No. He's been imprisoned longer than the 18 years you have been waiting. So, you might get yours before him.

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  9. Ok he's on a program.
    Has that lil malicious look like hes pinky n the brain

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  10. By his face it looks like he hasn’t repented.

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  11. This guy made a sweet deal, unlike idiot chapo. Will be living on a golf course with all his cash protected by the US Govt.

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    1. Chapo wanted a deal but the US didn’t give it to him. It was a symbolic move of showcasing US’s toughness against capos. But Osiel was still in the early days and the CDG-Zetas were very powerful back then. The US wanted Osiel to spill the beans to go after their money. It’s all a business.

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  12. El desmadre que se haría si regresa. No creo que pase. Pero veremos cómo se mueven las cosas para agosto.

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  13. I wonder if this guy is gonna bring fire and fury back to his home lol

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  14. Will Osiel go back to Mexico or stay in the states? He will be whacked if he returns to Mexico.

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    1. Read the article son

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    2. HE WILL GO BACK ALL OF MATAMOROS IS THE CARDENAS. HE OWNS ABOUT 500 TRUCK TRAILERS MUCH MORE.. ALL THE CITY IS OSIEL CARDENAS THAT IS HIS CITY.

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  15. That dude has some evil eyes, he would make for a great kill. He has no right to live after what has done to so many.

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  16. Disculpen mi ignorancia. Ese reloj blanco se los da la prisión? O es de ellos ?

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    1. Dejan usar G Shocks en prision. Se que pueden comprar en la cárcel pero no se si ese lo compraron ahí.

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    2. Pues ya sabes wey. Esta bien obvio. Empezaron con regalitos entre amigues para andar iguales. Después llegaron los besitos prohibidos aquí y allá entre ellos. Y luego siguieron los gemidos lentos por las noches para desahogarse de sus penas. En pocas palabras se andan revolviendo el menudo en la oscuridad.

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  17. A ver si no se friegan a su Amigo por publicar la foto del Oziel error de quien la hizo post familiar del Amigo .

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  18. If looks could kill. Man he has the eyes of one evil mother fuker

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  19. How many people did Osiel betray and order their death or arrest? Z-1, Roger/Metro 1, El Yeyo, El Rolis (he tried to), El Goyo (tried to), El Chacho. To think Osiel is your friend got to be the dumbest thing I’ve read in a while.

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    1. It would be good if we could compile a formal list. There’s definitely more.

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    2. @954 — Why? What’s there to learn? And what about the ones we don’t know about?

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  20. 9:48 & 9:54
    What is betrayal?
    Is doing away with the competition betrayal?
    Are you sure on what you mentioned about Arturo's, Roger's & Don Goyo's downfall?

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    1. lol I agree.. I don’t get a lot of these people sometimes…

      You don’t become the head of a cartel by being a good person….

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  21. Mr. No Friends has been doing his burpees.. Even Wes “The Hooper” Watson would be proud!

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  22. Z1 is a maybe. Roger yes. Don Goyo yes, he was ostracized by Osiel.

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    1. 1. No (confusion, PJF)
      2. Reason (Goles) should report every single one, not bring some under the water for yourself
      3. Who extracted him from the city he was put in charge of, how long had he had it in check

      when you are given a responsibility it's expected that you will fullfil that role.

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  23. OSIEL PROBABLY SNITCHED ON THE ZETAS WHEN THEY SPLIT FROM CDG. HE DIDN'T GIVE UP HIS CDG FAMILY IN MATAMOROS (TONY TORMEMTA CARDENAS) BUT INSTEAD INFO ON THE ZETAS FOR REDUCED SENTENCE.

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    1. No different than what Chapo used to do. Give up his rivals. When are you kids gonna learn, that the no snitching is only for low level plebes? Of course you'd want your fodder plebes to be sworn to not snitch.

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    2. You got it all wrong. After oziels acting boss or street boss el kelin was arrested the cdg was ran by el cos tony tormenta and lazcano the head zeta at the time. The cdg zetas split had to do with the cdg making a no aggression pact with the sinaloa cartel and the zetas didnt like it. And then the killing of el concord 3 made it official years later.

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    3. 654 concord 3 I forgot about that and then they wanted M3 for the death of concord.

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  24. The devil himself Osiel he’s Satana

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  25. The nerve this man has to be bald for some many years and still not wanna shave his head lmfaooooo

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  26. I guarantee this guy is not going to be let back into Mexico he will be taken by the police and taken to prison.

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  27. He going stay in USA and try to somehow call the shots behind the scenes without raising suspicions

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    1. And I’m gargamal and Peter Pan! 🤦‍♂️ 🤦‍♂️

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  28. All of you guys talking about how tough he looks and he looks like a badass haven’t been to prison. Every 3rd inmate tries to wear a confident badass look and what else do you have to do but work out. Anyone that rolls and does that kind of damage will never return. Name one kingpin that snitched and returned to power. Name one? This guys only chance is to stay in protective custody. There is a green light on him from the old school the moment he returns to Mexico. Or for that matter, whenever he is located in the US.

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    1. He doesnt look tough he looks more like a pedophile, viejillo ravo verde

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    2. @2:59 Yeah, but a guy like is usually crazy. guys at the top of a cartel must be some of most paranoid psychos on the planet. A guy like this doesn't know how to live without power once he's gotten a good taste of it. He'd be just crazy enough to go home even if it means suicide.

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  29. El papa de los pollitos

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  30. Whats going on with El Meme Loco isnt he out for a few years now.Osiel is out in august aswell.Mamito is out.Loads of old schol La compania members are geting out soon

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