José Manuel Garza Rendón | |
---|---|
Born | José Manuel Garza Rendón 7 December 1952 Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico |
Other names | La Brocha Juan Manuel Garza Rendón |
Occupation | Drug lord |
Employer(s) | Federal Judicial Police (1985 - 1989), Gulf Cartel |
Criminal charges |
|
Criminal status | Convicted |
Spouse | Ludivina Benavides Fuentes |
José Manuel Garza Rendón (born 7 December 1952), also known as La Brocha ("The Brush"), is a Mexican convicted drug lord and former high-ranking member of the Gulf Cartel, a criminal group based in Tamaulipas, Mexico. In 1979, he was convicted of drug-related charges in the U.S. Back in Mexico in 1985, Garza Rendón joined the Federal Judicial Police; released in 1989, he joined the Gulf Cartel. His roles in the cartel were managing drug shipments from the U.S. to Mexico and serving as bodyguard to former kingpin Osiel Cárdenas Guillén.
In 1999, Garza Rendón and his associates threatened two U.S. agents at gunpoint in Matamoros after the agents traveled there with an informant to gather intelligence on the cartel's operations. Although the agents and informant returned to the U.S. unharmed, the incident triggered a manhunt for him and other cartel leaders. Garza Rendón surrendered to U.S. authorities in Texas in 2001, and was convicted of drug trafficking. In the U.S., he became an informant about the cartel's operations. Released and deported to Mexico in 2009, Garza Rendón was re-arrested and imprisoned for additional charges.
Garza Rendón, also known as "La Brocha" ("The Brush"), was born in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, on 7 December 1952. [1] [2] He dropped out of school after sixth grade. [3] In 1979, Garza Rendón was convicted of drug-related charges in the United States. [4] He eventually returned to Mexico, and joined the now-defunct Federal Judicial Police (PJF) agency in 1985. For his first assignment as an agent he was transferred to the state of Sonora, where he worked under former agent Rodolfo Larrazolo Rubio, the brother of former PJF commander José Luis Larrazolo Rubio. The brothers reportedly collaborated with organized-crime members while they worked for the PJF, and authorities suspect that Garza Rendón gained their support. In the PJF, he was known as a firearms enthusiast. [1] Authorities suspected that Garza Rendón began collaborating with the Gulf Cartel during the late 1980s. [lower-alpha 1] [5]
In 1989, Garza Rendón returned to Tamaulipas and was released from the PJF; at that time, former Gulf Cartel kingpin Juan García Ábrego was heading the syndicate. [1] When García Ábrego was arrested in 1996, the cartel experienced internal strife as several of its factions (and leaders) vied for control. Control of the Gulf Cartel eventually consolidated under Osiel Cárdenas Guillén in 1998, [6] and Garza Rendón became one of his bodyguards. [7] Garza Rendón also worked closely with Gulf Cartel enforcer Gilberto García Mena ("El June"), providing support to Cárdenas. [8]
According to his Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) profile, he weighed 200 lb (91 kg) and had black hair and brown eyes. Garza Rendón's height was unknown, and he had no known identifying scars or marks. He was described as Hispanic, with medium complexion, and "armed and dangerous". [2]
On 9 November 1999, Garza Rendón and several of his associates (including Cárdenas) threatened two U.S. agents at gunpoint in Matamoros. [9] The agents traveled there with an informant to gather intelligence on the operations of the Gulf Cartel, and were intercepted by the cartel. Although Cárdenas threatened to kill the U.S. agents and the informant during the standoff, after a heated discussion they were allowed to return to the U.S. unharmed. [10] The incident led to increased law-enforcement efforts against the Gulf Cartel leadership. [lower-alpha 2] [15] Garza Rendón's wife, Ludivina Benavides Fuentes, told investigators that he had not lived in Matamoros since 1999, but eyewitnesses reported that he frequented nightclubs there. [lower-alpha 3] [1] Police reported that he did not have family members in Matamoros, and suspected that some of his relatives may have lived in McAllen, Texas. [16]
In the U.S., the District Court for the Southern District of Texas (S.D. Tex.) in Brownsville filed a sealed indictment against Garza Rendón on 14 March 2000 for marijuana trafficking and for assaulting the two agents. [lower-alpha 4] [17] The drug counts stated that Garza Rendón was involved in conspiracy and possession of 988 kg (2,178 lb) and 100 kg (220 lb) marijuana loads with intent to distribute. [16] Each drug count carried a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years and up to 40 if found guilty, and a US$2 million fine and four years of supervised release. For the assault charges, Garza Rendón faced up to 10 years in prison, up to US$250,000 in fines, and 3 years of supervised release for each count. [17] On 14 December 2000, the U.S. State Department announced a US$2 million bounty for Garza Rendón, Cárdenas, and Adán Medrano Rodríguez ("El Licenciado"), and unsealed the March indictment. [18] [19]
In Mexico, authorities issued an arrest warrant for Garza Rendón on 13 May 2000 for drug-trafficking, money-laundering, organized-crime involvement and illegal possession of military-exclusive weapons charges. [lower-alpha 5] [1] With these charges, the Mexican government was increasing its efforts to crack down on the Gulf Cartel. Other cartel leaders were arrested during the early 2000s, sending Garza Rendón into hiding. A blow was dealt to the cartel on 30 May 2000, when García García disappeared and was later confirmed dead. [1] [22] García Mena was arrested on 10 April 2001. [23] Fearing capture, Garza Rendón changed his name to José Garza Rodríguez. [1]
Between 2 and 6 June 2001, the Specialized Unit Against Organized Crime (UEDO – a former branch of the PGR, the Attorney General's Office) cracked down on the cartel in Ciudad Miguel Alemán, Ciudad Mier, Camargo, and Reynosa. It was supported by the PJF and the Mexican Army. The UEDO had intelligence confirming the whereabouts of Garza Rendón, Medrano, and Cárdenas. [24] However, Garza Rendón and his associates escaped capture when security forces experienced delays in gaining approval for search warrants and finalizing details of the raids. The raids were headed by PGR chief José Luis Santiago Vasconcelos, and the PGR said that security forces were closing in on cartel leaders and the arrest of Cárdenas and his associates was imminent. [24] [25]
On 5 June 2001, [26] Garza Rendón surrendered to U.S. federal agents at the Pharr–Reynosa International Bridge. [13] U.S. officials said that they were surprised to learn that Garza Rendón had decided to surrender. [27] They speculated that he feared for his life because he was under pressure from members of the cartel, who wanted him dead for mishandling the drug business while he was addicted to cocaine. [3] Garza Rendón was also being closely tracked by the Mexican government. [28] According to Mexican authorities, he reached out to the U.S. government and asked to become part of the United States Federal Witness Protection Program in exchange for his surrender. [29] An FBI spokesperson based in McAllen said that Garza Rendón telephoned U.S. authorities from Mexico and told them he was going to surrender the following day. Several U.S. agencies coordinated to avoid any issues springing from his arrest, [28] which was made in coordination with the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Customs and the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Garza Rendón was held without bail, and was transferred to a prison in Cameron County, Texas. [13]
During a S.D. Tex. hearing on 14 June 2001, [30] Garza Rendón pled not guilty to the drug-trafficking and assault charges and said that he had no connection to Cárdenas or other members of the cartel. [14] [31] He said that he had a legitimate job in Mexico, and was not involved in drug trafficking. Garza Rendón's court-appointed attorney said that he could not afford a private lawyer, which indicated that he was not the cartel leader alleged by the plaintiff. His attorney noted that he turned himself in, saying that if he was involved with the cartel he would not have done that. The prosecutor limited their comments to the indictment charging Garza Rendón with drug trafficking and assault. [14] The defense was asked to provide evidence for their client, and Garza Rendón was held without bail for the remainder of the hearings. [31] During the hearings, U.S. authorities learned they had misidentified him when he was first charged; he was identified as Juan Manuel Garza Rendón in 2000, and his first name was later corrected. [14] Judge John William Black confirmed that a new hearing would be held in the same court on 2 August. [30] If convicted of the two drug charges, Garza Rendón faced up to 40 years in prison and a US$2 million fine. He faced up to 10 years in prison and a US$250,000 fine for each of the two assault charges. [14]
On 6 December 2001, Garza Rendón was convicted by S.D. Tex judge Hilda G. Tagle for conspiracy to import 100 kg (220 lb) of marijuana to the U.S. from Mexico with intent to distribute. He was sentenced to nine years (108 months) in prison. His other pending 988 kg (2,178 lb) marijuana count and two assault charges were dropped on a government motion. His fines were waived, and authorities conducted an evaluation to determine if he needed drug treatment while serving his sentence. Garza Rendón was also prohibited from lawfully re-entering the U.S. upon his release. [17] He served his sentence at the Reeves County Detention Complex in Pecos, Texas. [4]
According to court records, Garza Rendón struck a deal with U.S. authorities and pled guilty to the drug-trafficking charges. The drug charge stemmed from the failed delivery of nearly a ton of marijuana in Houston, Texas, which Garza Rendón helped to coordinate. [32] It was not officially known if Garza Rendón collaborated with prosecutors by testifying against other cartel members or by giving them inside information about the syndicate, [33] but one unnamed U.S. federal agent said that the information he provided was "substantial" for their investigations of the cartel. [3] His boss, Cárdenas, was extradited to the U.S. in 2007 and faced trial on multiple charges in Houston; [34] [35] it is unknown if Garza Rendón gave investigators useful information about him. [3]
After serving most of his sentence, [4] he was released from prison on 7 April 2009; [36] it was unknown at the time if Garza Rendón was permitted to stay in the U.S. or if the U.S. government was planning to deport him to Mexico. [33] A former DEA agent said that he would probably have to live the rest of his life in hiding to avoid being killed by members of the cartel for informing on them. [3] "Basically, he is going from a safe, secure environment to being a hunted rabbit," the investigator said. [37] A former U.S. official said that Garza Rendón also faced danger in a Mexican prison. Organized-crime groups in Mexico have killed informants and rival gangsters while the victims were incarcerated. [32] "They can reach out to him in a Mexican prison almost as easily as they can reach out to him on a Mexican street," the agent said. [38] It was confirmed later on 7 April that Garza Rendón was handed over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for a deportation hearing. [35] [39] He was kept at the El Paso Processing Center, an immigration detention facility in El Paso, Texas, managed by ICE. [40] On 10 April 2009, Garza Rendón was brought to the Stanton Street Bridge in El Paso and deported to Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. [4] [41]
In Ciudad Juárez, Federal Police and PGR officials arrested him for his Mexican charges. [42] In a press release, the PGR said that it would continue to cooperate with international law-enforcement agencies to bring Mexican nationals like Garza Rendón to justice. [40] His charges dated to 2000, [lower-alpha 6] and included organized-crime involvement, attempted homicide, drug trafficking, and possession of military-grade firearms. [44] Although Garza Rendón said nothing to U.S. officials during his deportation, he was dismayed to see Mexican officials waiting to arrest him; it was unclear if he thought he would be free in Mexico after his deportation or if he knew that Mexican authorities were waiting to re-arrest him. [5] He was imprisoned at Reclusorio Norte, a Mexico City penitentiary, [45] and federal judge Olga Sánchez Contreras began legal proceedings on 4 May 2009 for the Mexican charges. [46]
Osiel Cárdenas Guillén is a Mexican drug lord and the former leader of the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas. Originally a mechanic in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, he entered the cartel by killing Juan García Abrego's friend and competitor Salvador Gómez, after the former's arrest in 1996. As confrontations with rival groups heated up, Osiel Cárdenas sought and recruited over 30 deserters from the Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales to form the cartel's armed wing. Los Zetas served as the hired private mercenary army of the Gulf Cartel.
The Gulf Cartel is a criminal syndicate and drug trafficking organization in Mexico, and perhaps one of the oldest organized crime groups in the country. It is currently based in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, directly across the U.S. border from Brownsville, Texas.
Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sánchez is a former Mexican drug lord and top leader of the criminal drug trafficking organization known as the Gulf Cartel. He was among Mexico's most-wanted drug lords, until his arrest in 2012.
Antonio Ezequiel Cárdenas Guillén, commonly referred to by his alias Tony Tormenta, was a Mexican drug lord and co-leader of the Gulf Cartel, a drug trafficking organization based in Tamaulipas. He headed the criminal group along with Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sánchez. Antonio was considered by Mexican security forces as one of Mexico's most-wanted men.
Mario Alberto Cárdenas Guillén is a former leader of the Mexican criminal group called the Gulf Cartel. He is the brother of Osiel Cárdenas Guillén and Antonio Cárdenas Guillén.
Nabor Vargas García is a Mexican suspected drug lord and one of the founders of Los Zetas, a criminal group formed by former soldiers of the Mexican Armed Forces.
Hugo Baldomero Medina Garza is a Mexican drug lord and leader of the Gulf Cartel. He is known as El Señor Padrino de los Tráilers for shipping large sums of Colombian narcotics in trucks through Mexico, to later smuggle them across the international border into the United States.
On 9 November 1999, two agents from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were threatened at gunpoint and nearly killed in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, by gunmen of the Gulf Cartel, a criminal group based in the area. The two agents traveled to Matamoros with an informant to gather intelligence on the operations of the Gulf Cartel. As they cruised through one of the properties owned by the criminal group, they noticed several vehicles following them. The agents were forced to a stop and were corralled by a convoy of eight vehicles, from which 15 gunmen emerged and surrounded the agents' car. Some of them wore uniforms of the local police. Among the gunmen was the former kingpin Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, who recognized the informant and ordered the three of them to get out of their vehicle.
Adán Javier Medrano Rodríguez, also known as El Licenciado, was a Mexican convicted drug lord and former high-ranking member of the Gulf Cartel, a criminal group based in Tamaulipas, Mexico. He joined the cartel during the 1990s, and was a trusted enforcer of former kingpin Osiel Cárdenas Guillén. His roles in the cartel were managing drug shipments from Guatemala to Mexico, supervising murders ordered by Cárdenas, and coordinating cash transfers from the U.S. to Mexico.
Gilberto García Mena, also known as El June, is a Mexican convicted drug lord and former high-ranking member of the Gulf Cartel, a criminal group based in Tamaulipas, Mexico. He began his criminal career as a small-time marijuana smuggler in his teens, and later joined the Gulf Cartel under kingpin Juan García Ábrego. García Mena was arrested by U.S. authorities in Texas while possessing marijuana in 1984, but was released without a conviction. He returned to Mexico, and established a center of operations in Nuevo León. García Mena was arrested on drug-trafficking charges in 1989, but authorities were again unable to convict him. Released in 1990, he rejoined the Gulf Cartel.
Juan Carlos de la Cruz Reyna is a Mexican convicted criminal and former high-ranking member of the Gulf Cartel, a criminal group based in Tamaulipas, Mexico. He was also a senior member in Los Zetas, the Gulf Cartel's former paramilitary group. In the 1990s, de la Cruz Reyna was an officer in the Tamaulipas State Police while working as a hitman for the Gulf Cartel. After he left the agency in 1999, he became a bodyguard for former Gulf Cartel kingpin Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, and was eventually promoted to regional leader of the cartel in Tampico. He reportedly had policemen on his payroll, and managed international drug trafficking shipments from Central and South America.
Víctor Manuel Vázquez Mireles is a Mexican drug lord and high-ranking member of the Gulf Cartel, a criminal group based in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Vázquez Mireles joined the cartel during the 1990s and was a trusted enforcer of former kingpin Osiel Cárdenas Guillén. He started his career in the cartel as one of his bodyguards and was eventually placed in charge of operations in Tamaulipas and Veracruz. He was reportedly responsible for supervising the purchase of drugs intended to be smuggled into the U.S. for distribution and for arranging the assistance of corrupt law enforcement officials in the cartel's operations.
Edelio López Falcón, commonly referred to as El Yeyo, was a Mexican suspected drug lord and former high-ranking member of the Gulf Cartel, a criminal group based in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Prior to his involvement in drug trafficking, López Falcón owned a flower business in Miguel Alemán. He was part of the cartel during the 1990s and was a trusted enforcer of the former kingpin Gilberto García Mena. López Falcón's role in the cartel was managing drug shipments from Tamaulipas to the United States. Security forces believed López Falcón was not a violent crime boss; he preferred to indulge in his personal interests, which included promoting music and entertainment, managing his restaurant chains, and running his horse-breeding business. After joining the cartel, he continued to pose as a legitimate businessman to keep a low profile.
Rolando López Salinas, also known as El Rolis, was a Mexican suspected drug lord and former high-ranking member of the Gulf Cartel, a criminal group based in Tamaulipas, Mexico. López Salinas started his criminal career as the right-hand man of his cousin Edelio López Falcón and was in charge of his security services, and later became involved in drug trafficking operations. During his criminal career, López Salinas survived two assassination attempts—one in 1999 and another in 2000—which were reportedly triggered by his differences with Gilberto García Mena, a former cartel boss. After López Falcón came into conflict with the cartel's leadership, both he and López Salinas broke ties with the cartel and forged alliances with rival criminal groups.
Zeferino Peña Cuéllar, also known as Don Zefe, is a Mexican suspected drug lord and high-ranking member of the Gulf Cartel, a criminal group based in Tamaulipas, Mexico. He was part of the cartel during the 1990s, and was a trusted enforcer of former kingpins Gilberto García Mena and Osiel Cárdenas Guillén. From 1999 to 2001, he served as the municipal police chief of Miguel Alemán. Peña Cuéllar reportedly relied on corrupt Mexican military officials to run drug trafficking activities in Tamaulipas. This group of military officers would later become the foundation for the creation of Los Zetas, the Gulf Cartel's former paramilitary group originally made up of ex-soldiers. In the cartel, he headed organized crime operations in the municipalities of Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Camargo, Miguel Alemán, Mier, and Guerrero.
Raúl Hernández Barrón, also known by his alias Flanders 1, was a Mexican suspected drug lord and high-ranking member of Los Zetas, a criminal group based in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Hernández Barrón served in the Mexican Army from 1993 to 1999 as an infantry soldier. He then left and joined the Gulf Cartel under the kingpin Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, and became part of the first members of their newly formed paramilitary wing, Los Zetas. Like Hernández Barrón, most of the first members of Los Zetas were ex-military. Los Zetas was responsible for providing security services to Cárdenas Guillén and carrying out executions on the cartel's behalf. Hernández Barrón was also responsible for coordinating drug trafficking activities in Veracruz.
Raúl Alberto Trejo Benavides was a Mexican suspected drug lord and high-ranking member of Los Zetas, a criminal group based in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Trejo Benavides served in the Mexican Army from 1991 to 1999, and was a member of the Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales (GAFE), the army's special forces. He joined the Gulf Cartel under kingpin Osiel Cárdenas Guillén after leaving the army, becoming one of the first members of its newly formed paramilitary wing, Los Zetas. Like Trejo Benavides, most of the first members of Los Zetas were ex-military. Los Zetas was responsible for providing security services to Cárdenas Guillén and carrying out executions on the cartel's behalf.
María Antonieta Rodríguez Mata is a Mexican former police officer and convicted drug lord. She worked as a Tamaulipas State Police officer from 1992 to 1996. During her tenure in the police, she was subject to several investigations by the National Human Rights Commission for alleged human rights violations. In the late 1990s, she became involved with the Gulf Cartel, a criminal group based in Tamaulipas, Mexico, after being hired to work under the kingpin Osiel Cárdenas Guillén. She was responsible for coordinating drug trafficking shipments from Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico to the U.S. The drugs were often guarded by corrupt policemen and smuggled overland through Reynosa and McAllen, Texas. Her role in organized crime is unusual since she held a leadership role in the male-dominated Mexican drug trafficking industry.
Luis Alberto Guerrero Reyes was a Mexican suspected drug lord and high-ranking member of Los Zetas, a criminal group based in Tamaulipas, Mexico. He joined the Mexican Army in 1987, specializing in explosives, martial arts and grenade launchers. In 1999, he deserted the military and joined the Gulf Cartel under kingpin Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, becoming one of the first members of its newly formed paramilitary wing, Los Zetas. Like Guerrero Reyes, most of the first members of Los Zetas were ex-military. Los Zetas was responsible for providing security services to Cárdenas Guillén and carrying out executions on the cartel's behalf.
Omar Lorméndez Pitalúa is a Mexican suspected drug lord and high-ranking member of Los Zetas, a criminal group based in Tamaulipas, Mexico. He joined the Mexican Army in 1991 and deserted in 1999. He then joined the Gulf Cartel under kingpin Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, becoming one of the first members of its newly formed paramilitary wing, Los Zetas. Like Lorméndez Pitalúa, most of the original members of Los Zetas were ex-military. Los Zetas was responsible for providing security services to Cárdenas Guillén and carrying out executions on the cartel's behalf. In 2001, Lorméndez Pitalúa worked on assignments for Los Zetas and was responsible for ensuring that smugglers paid taxes to the Gulf Cartel and operated under their supervision in Matamoros.