Héctor Luis Palma Salazar

Héctor Luis "El Güero" Palma Salazar was a Mexican drug trafficker and former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel (Guzman Loera-Palma Salazar Cartel) alongside Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán .cite book|title=Hyper-Border: The Contemporary U.S.-Mexico Border and Its Future |first=Fernando |last=Romero |page=140 |publisher=Princeton Architectural Press |year=2007 |isbn=1568987064]

Origin

Palma began his life of crime as a car thief eventually working as a gunman for Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo under the umbrella of the Guadalajara Cartel. Palma rose the ranks, and along with EDUardo "El Lobito" Retamoza and Gallardo, were leaders of the cartel. Following the loss of a large cocaine shipment, which was blamed on Retamoza and Palma, El Lobito was killed and Palma was spared. Following Retamoza's death, Palma contacted and created an alliance with Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman of the rival Sinaloa Cartel.cite article|title=Article Profiles Activities of Sinaloa Cartel |publisher=The Norwegian Initiative on Small Arms Transfers (NISAT) |date=October 10, 1994 |author=Ciro Perez Silva & NISAT]

Palma splintered from the group which was handed down to Gallardo's nephews in Tijuana, who later formed the Tijuana Cartel (Arellano Felix Organization).cite book|title=Coming Together?: Mexico-United States Relations |first=Barry |last=Bosworth |pages=131 |publisher=Brookings Institution Press |isbn=0815710275] Palma, along with a Venezuelan trafficker named Rafael Enrique Clavel, one time boyfriend of his daughter Minerva Palma, began operating their own cartel. In 1978 Palma was arrested in Arizona on drug trafficking and sentenced to 8 years in a U.S. prison. Upon his release, Palma discovered his wife, Guadalupe Leija Serrano, had run off with Clavel and taken their two kids. Clavel forced Guadalupe to withdraw 7 million from a bank account and later decapitated her, shipping her head back to Palma. The two children, Jesus & Nataly were taken to Venezuela and dropped off of a bridge. Clavel soon after went to work for Gallardo in the Tijuana Cartel. In retaliation, Palma executed Gallardo's lawyer and Clavel's three children.cite book|title=Drug Crazy: How We Got Into This Mess and How We Can Get Out |first=Mike |last=Gray |pages=136 |year=2000 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=0415926475] cite book|title=Bordering on Chaos: Guerrillas, Stockbrokers, Politicians, and Mexico's Road to Prosperity |first=Andres |last=Oppenheimer |page=298 |year=1996 |publisher=Little, Brown and Company |isbn=0316650951]

Palma returned to trafficking within the Sinaloa Cartel, sharing leadership with Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.

In 1995 Palma was arrested after a 12 seat Lear jet he was flying on to attend a wedding party crashed. Palma was traveling from Ciudad Obregón, Sonora to Guadalajara, Jalisco for a wedding ceremony when the plane was diverted and unable to locate a new landing strip in time. Palma survived the crash and was later arrested by Mexican military officers, originally evading capture by traveling in full uniform as a Federal Judicial Police officer complete with identification and armed caravan of FJP personnel.cite book|title=Organized Crime and Democratic Governability: Mexico and the U.S.-Mexican Borderlands |first=John J. |last=Bailey |year=2001 |publisher=University of Pittsburgh Press |isbn=0822957582 |pages=131]

Corruption

Palma has managed to penetrate the depths of the Mexican Federal Judicial Police (FJP), evading detection by posing as one in complete uniform with identification and traveling in a heavily armed caravan of FJP officers. It was later discovered he was able to evade capture by staying at the home of the local police commander.

In addition to the corruption present within the police force, it has been documented to have spread to the judicial system. Due to bribery of judges the Sinaloa Cartel have evaded prosecution repeatedly. In 2004, 18 men were arrested in possession of 28 machine guns, 2 hand guns, 223 cartridges, 10k bullets, 12 grenade launchers, 18 hand grenades, smoke grenades and bullet proof vests. The men were set free by Judge Jose Luis Gomez Martinez who stated there was no evidence they were part of any criminal organization.cite book|title=Global Corruption Report 2007: Corruption in Judicial Systems |author=Transparency International |pages=77,78 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2007 |isbn=0521700701]

Archivaldo Ivan Guzman Salazar, son of Joaquín Guzmán, was set free following accusations of money laundering, and murdering a Canadian tourist. Olga Patricia Gastelum Escobar was arrested for transporting money belonging to the Sinaloa Cartel, she was arrested with 7 million in cash and 500 thousand in jewelry. In April 2005 the judge dropped the charges and Olga free without notifying the prosecutors office for 24 hours, against article 102 of the Criminal Procedural Code.

Los Negros (Beltrán Group)

Edgar "La Barbie" Valdez Villarreal, lieutenant to Palma, in reaction to the growing threat of Los Zetas, enforcers for the Gulf Cartel, formed Los Negros to counter the growing Zeta influence. Los Negros have been involved in warring with Los Zetas in the Nuevo Laredo region.cite book|title=Understanding Organized Crime |first=Stephen L. |last=Mallory |pages=67 |year=2007 |publisher=Jones & Bartlett |isbn=0763741086] The Nuevo Laredo region is crucial to drug traffickers due to the amount of commerce which passes through the region into the United States, 40% of Mexican exports totaling 9,000 trucks daily. Authorities believe Valdez has been able to recruit dissatisfied members of Los Zetas into Los Negros.cite book|title=Mexico |first=John |last=Noble |year=2006 |publisher=Lonely Planet |isbn=1740597443 |pages=384]

ee also

*Los Zetas
*Mercenary
*Gulf Cartel
*Sinaloa Cartel
*Tijuana Cartel

References