Gustavo Castillo García
La Jornada Newspaper
Friday, December 27, 2024, p. 9
For the second consecutive time, the former leader of the Gulf cartel, Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him by the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime (Femdo); Now he did it specifically in criminal case 72/2024 in which he was formally imprisoned for the murder of six relatives of a man so close to the capo that he was in charge of buying food for him and his bodyguard, and who after his arrest he became a collaborating witness of the Federal Public Ministry.
Information obtained from the Judicial Branch of the Federation (PJF) indicates that on Tuesday of last week it was determined that criminal case 72/2024 was the responsibility of the seventh district court in criminal matters in the state of Jalisco.
A day later, after 12 noon, the court opened the hearing via the Internet for Cárdenas Guillén to give his preparatory statement.
Accompanied by his lawyers, the former boss who created the criminal group The Zetas heard the ministerial actions attributed to him having ordered José Ramón Dávila Flores, The Choloand Isidro Lara Flores, two hitmen from the Gulf cartel, who murdered the relatives of a collaborating witness of the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) identified as Rufino.
The FGR deponent was one of the defendant’s most trusted men, however he was arrested and decided to collaborate with the authorities. With the data provided by him, Rubén Sauceda Rivera, financial operator of the Gulf cartel, was arrested in 2002.
After the capture of Sauceda Rivera and the financial impact on his organization, the accused – according to two informants – ordered the murder of six members of the witness Rufino’s family.
He did not accept questions from the Public Ministry
During the hearing, Cárdenas Guillén decided to testify and stated, according to the information obtained: He has never ordered anyone to be killed. I do not know any of the people who accuse me, I am innocent of the crimes that I am accused of, and I feel that there is persecution against me and my family
.
The appearance concluded shortly after 2:40 p.m., since the boss did not agree to answer questions from the Public Ministry.
It is worth mentioning that the first time Osiel Cárdenas denied being responsible for the accusations was in the preparatory statement hearing in the criminal case being followed for organized crime and drug trafficking.
Meanwhile, the Public Ministry managed to have him formally imprisoned in both cases and with this there are now nine ongoing trials against the former leader of the Gulf cartel.
