Mexico's newspaper La Crónica says there are ten versions of how the drug trafficker and hitman Edgar Valdez Villareal, alias La Barbie, was captured in late August just outside Mexico City. These versions come from three different officials. They contradict each other in parts and coincide in others. The article adds to the speculation that Valdez is cooperating with authorities and arranged his capture so he could get favorable treatment once in custody. Valdez was a longtime hitman for the Beltrán Leyva Organization (BLO) but defected after his boss, Arturo Beltrán Leyva, was killed in a firefight with authorities in December 2009. His defections split the organization in two and has led to hundreds of deaths from Morelos to Guerrero as the battle to control this organization came to a head.
10 Official Versions of the Capture of 'Barbie'
Was this content helpful?
We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.
DONATEWhat are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.
We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.
Was this content helpful?
We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.
DONATELatest News
Related Content
Mexico's produce industry has taken another hit from cartel violence, as tens of millions of dollars worth of peaches are…
The death of two indigenous leaders in Guerrero, Mexico, has again drawn attention to the government’s negligent protection of indigenous…
InSight Crime's 2022 Homicide Round-Up covers more countries than ever before, with a major expansion into nations of the Caribbean.
About InSight Crime
Venezuela Coverage Continues to be Highlighted
This week, InSight Crime co-director Jeremy McDermott was the featured guest on the Americas Quarterly podcast, where he provided an expert overview of the changing dynamics…
Venezuela's Organized Crime Top 10 Attracts Attention
Last week, InSight Crime published its ranking of Venezuela’s ten organized crime groups to accompany the launch of the Venezuela Organized Crime Observatory. Read…
InSight Crime on El País Podcast
This week, InSight Crime co-founder, Jeremy McDermott, was among experts featured in an El País podcast on the progress of Colombia’s nascent peace process.
InSight Crime Interviewed by Associated Press
This week, InSight Crime’s Co-director Jeremy McDermott was interviewed by the Associated Press on developments in Haiti as the country continues its prolonged collapse. McDermott’s words were republished around the world,…
Escaping Barrio 18
Last week, InSight Crime published an investigation charting the story of Desafío, a 28-year-old Barrio 18 gang member who is desperate to escape gang life. But there’s one problem: he’s…
Stay Informed with Weekly InSight
Get fresh updates on organized crime from across the region delivered to your inbox.
SUBSCRIBE