El Chapo Guzman's Legal Fate Has People in Mexico Braced for Bloody, 'Unintended Consequences' Christopher Woody - Business Insider
go to original February 22, 2017

Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzmán (R) arrives in Long Island, New York, January 19, 2017, after his extradition from Mexico (Reuters)

In the months prior to Sinaloa cartel kingpin Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán's extradition in January, his impending absence from Mexico's cartel scene stirred fears that narco violence in the country could intensify with him gone.

Bloodshed in recent months seems to indicate his departure has been noted by rival groups.

Now one potential legal resolution to Guzmán's trial in the US is reminding some of other dark moments in Mexico's recent history of drug violence.

Guzmán, who could face life in prison, pleaded not guilty to the array of charges against him when he arrived in a US court in January. His next hearing is on May 5.

"Residents in Ciudad Juarez and other regions in Mexico are worried about the extradition of Chapo Guzmán, because what happens if there is a plea bargain?" Alfredo Corchado, a Dallas Morning News contributor and author, said earlier this month at a panel discussion about violence in Mexico at the Wilson Center in Washington, DC.

Corchado cited the case of Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, the former leader of the powerful Gulf cartel, who was extradited to the US in 2007.

"As we saw with the case of Osiel Cardenas, once Osiel did the plea bargain, you saw massive homicides throughout the Tamaulipas, Coahuila, and other regions," Corchado added. "There were unintended consequences, so I think people are bracing for some tough months ahead, not just in Juarez, but in other parts of the country."

Cárdenas rose through the ranks of the Gulf cartel, which operated out of northeastern Mexico in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Under his guidance, the cartel moved thousands of pounds of cocaine and other drugs to the US.

Read the rest at Business Insider

Related: Mexico Homicides Jump By a Third Amid Cartel Infighting (Reuters)

We invite you to add your charity or supporting organizations' news stories and coming events to PVAngels so we can share them with the world. Do it now!