Antonio Ezequiel Cárdenas Guillen
Encyclopedia
Antonio Ezequiel Cárdenas Guillén (March 5, 1962 – November 5, 2010), nicknamed Tony Tormenta, was a Mexican
drug lord
and co-leader of the criminal organization known as the Gulf Cartel
. Antonio was brother of Osiel Cárdenas Guillén and a partner of Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sánchez.
and becoming its leader after the arrest of his brother Osiel Cárdenas Guillén on March 14, 2003. Antonio, along with other Gulf Cartel associates, was responsible for multi-ton shipments of marijuana and cocaine
from Mexico to the United States.
The Gulf Cartel, originally founded in Mexico the 1930s to smuggle whiskey and other illicit commodities into the United States, expanded significantly by the 1970s under Juan García Abrego
, who became the first drug trafficker to be placed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List.
Following his 1996 arrest by Mexican authorities and subsequent deportation to the United States, Oscar Malherbe De León took control of the cartel until his arrest a short time later. He was replaced by Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, who was arrested in 2003, and extradited to the United States in 2007. The Gulf Cartel currently controls most of the cocaine and marijuana trafficking through the Matamoros, Tamaulipas
corridor to the United States. The Attorney General of Mexico suspects that his partner Jorge Eduardo Costilla
has taken full control of the Gulf Cartel.
(DEA). He was charged in a 2008 federal indictment in the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Department of State was offering a reward of up to $5 million USD for information leading to his arrest, while the Attorney General of Mexico was offering a 30 million pesos bounty (about $2.5 million USD).
On November 5, 2010, Antonio Ezequiel Cárdenas Guillén was killed during a shootout with the Mexican Army and the Mexican Marine officers in the border city of Matamoros, Tamaulipas
. According to local sources, over 50 Gulf Cartel gunmen were killed in the military operation, along with two marines, and a news reporter. Although not confirmed, some local sources state that more than 100 people died that day in Matamoros.
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
drug lord
Drug lord
A drug lord, drug baron or kingpin is the term used to describe a person who controls a sizable network of persons involved in the illegal drugs trade. Such figures are often difficult to bring to justice, as they might never be directly in possession of something illegal, but are insulated from...
and co-leader of the criminal organization known as the Gulf Cartel
Gulf Cartel
The Gulf Cartel is one of the most powerful drug cartels in Mexico, and perhaps the oldest organized crime group in the country...
. Antonio was brother of Osiel Cárdenas Guillén and a partner of Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sánchez.
Biography
Cárdenas is believed to have begun his drug trafficking career during the late 1980s, rising through the ranks of the Gulf CartelGulf Cartel
The Gulf Cartel is one of the most powerful drug cartels in Mexico, and perhaps the oldest organized crime group in the country...
and becoming its leader after the arrest of his brother Osiel Cárdenas Guillén on March 14, 2003. Antonio, along with other Gulf Cartel associates, was responsible for multi-ton shipments of marijuana and cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
from Mexico to the United States.
The Gulf Cartel, originally founded in Mexico the 1930s to smuggle whiskey and other illicit commodities into the United States, expanded significantly by the 1970s under Juan García Abrego
Juan García Abrego
Juan García Ábrego was a Mexican drug lord who started out his criminal career under the tutelage of his uncle Juan Nepomuceno Guerra, who is reported to be the former head of a criminal dynasty along the U.S.-Mexico border now called the Gulf Cartel....
, who became the first drug trafficker to be placed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List.
Following his 1996 arrest by Mexican authorities and subsequent deportation to the United States, Oscar Malherbe De León took control of the cartel until his arrest a short time later. He was replaced by Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, who was arrested in 2003, and extradited to the United States in 2007. The Gulf Cartel currently controls most of the cocaine and marijuana trafficking through the Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, officially known as Heroica Matamoros, is a city in the northeastern part of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from Brownsville, Texas, in the United States. Matamoros is the second largest and second...
corridor to the United States. The Attorney General of Mexico suspects that his partner Jorge Eduardo Costilla
Jorge Eduardo Costilla
Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sánchez, nicknamed El Coss, is a Mexican drug lord and the leader of the criminal drug trafficking organization known as the Gulf Cartel.- Biography :Costilla was born on August 1, 1971...
has taken full control of the Gulf Cartel.
Charges and bounty
Cárdenas was one of the eleven 'Most Wanted' Mexican fugitives sought by the U.S. Drug Enforcement AdministrationDrug Enforcement Administration
The Drug Enforcement Administration is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States...
(DEA). He was charged in a 2008 federal indictment in the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Department of State was offering a reward of up to $5 million USD for information leading to his arrest, while the Attorney General of Mexico was offering a 30 million pesos bounty (about $2.5 million USD).
On November 5, 2010, Antonio Ezequiel Cárdenas Guillén was killed during a shootout with the Mexican Army and the Mexican Marine officers in the border city of Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, officially known as Heroica Matamoros, is a city in the northeastern part of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from Brownsville, Texas, in the United States. Matamoros is the second largest and second...
. According to local sources, over 50 Gulf Cartel gunmen were killed in the military operation, along with two marines, and a news reporter. Although not confirmed, some local sources state that more than 100 people died that day in Matamoros.
See also
- War on DrugsWar on DrugsThe War on Drugs is a campaign of prohibition and foreign military aid and military intervention being undertaken by the United States government, with the assistance of participating countries, intended to both define and reduce the illegal drug trade...
- Mérida InitiativeMérida InitiativeThe Mérida Initiative is a security cooperation agreement between the United States and the government of Mexico and the countries of Central America, with the declared aim of combating the threats of drug trafficking, transnational organized crime and money laundering...
- Mexican drug warMexican Drug WarThe Mexican Drug War is an ongoing armed conflict taking place among rival drug cartels who fight each other for regional control, and Mexican government forces who seek to combat drug trafficking. However, the government's principal goal has been to put down the drug-related violence that was...
- List of Mexico's 37 most-wanted drug lords