Notorious Beltran Leyva Cartel Leader 'La Barbie' Mysteriously Vanished From U.S. Federal Prison System, Here's What the BOP Says

Notorious Beltran Leyva cartel leader Edgar Valdez Villareal, also known as "La Barbie," is currently not in federal custody in the United States, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) confirmed.

CNN confirmed on Tuesday that the agency's website showed that La Barbie is "not in BOP custody." Bureau spokesperson Benjamin O'Cone told CNN that there were "several reasons" why this can happen.

In an email to the outlet, O'Cone wrote that inmates in BOP custody who have not yet completed their respective sentence "may be outside BOP custody for a period of time for court hearings, medical treatment or for other reasons."

He added that the BOP cannot provide any specific information on the whereabouts of these prisoners for "safety, security, or privacy reasons."

Mexico Asks U.S. Bureau of Prisons for Answers on Beltran Leyva Cartel Leader La Barbie's Whereabouts

Mexico seems to be gravely concerned about the whereabouts of Edgar Valdez Villareal and is demanding to know where he is now.

The Mexican Attorney General's Office and Secretariat of Foreign Affairs have both confirmed to El Pais that they also do not know where the former leader of the now-defunct Beltran-Leyva cartel is. One of his lawyers told CNN that he did not know about a possible release and gave no other comments.

Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said in a press conference Tuesday that they have already requested the U.S. for information on Valdez Villarreal's whereabouts.

"If he is not in prison, you have to see the agreement they made with him because his sentence was for several years... Over the course of the day or tomorrow, everything will be known. Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Lopez Obrador noted.

The president said there are also complaints filed against La Barbie in Mexico. For his part, Mexico's Secretary of Foreign Affairs Marcelo Ebrard noted that he also had no confirmation whether or not La Barbie had been released.

Who Is Former Beltran Leyva Cartel Leader La Barbie?

Edgar Valdez Villarreal is one of Mexico's most violent drug cartel leaders. Originally from Texas, the Mexican-American left a trail of dismembered and decapitated bodies in Mexico's streets, hanged corpses from bridges, and committed other crimes as a part of the Beltran Leyva cartel.

According to LMT, La Barbie grew up as an average teenager who played football at United High School in Laredo, Texas. However, he began selling marijuana, which led him to become involved with the Beltran Leyva cartel, whose leaders were associated with Sinaloa Cartel boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman at the time.

La Barbie soon climbed the ranks, eventually becoming a high-ranking lieutenant before leading the Beltran Leyva cartel following the death of its leader Arturo Beltran Leyva in 2009. From there, he lived a flashy lifestyle using drug money. He owned luxury homes, expensive cars, and even a lion for a pet.

La Barbie was eventually arrested and pleaded guilty in 2016 to various charges, including conspiracy to import cocaine, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, and conspiracy to launder money. He was sentenced in June 2018 to 49 years and one month in prison and fined $192,000.

The former Beltran Leyva cartel leader is expected to remain in prison until 2056. However, his whereabouts in the U.S. remain unknown.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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