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Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, in the center, sits next to his lawyer, Eduardo Balazero, to his left. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)
Former collaborator of infamous Mexican drug dealer Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman on Monday told federal jury that Sinaloa cartel paid at least $ 350,000 in bribes to Mexican military officers to halt operations capture of Guzman more than ten years ago.
On the third day of his testimony, Jesus Zambada also included sneaky descriptions of brutal killings, which the cartel was used to dealing with various threats of violence and personal clashes.
According to Zambada, his older brother, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, in charge of the Sinaloa cartel, said that a meeting in 2004 between Guzman and a competitor named Rodolfo Fuentes had ended badly, while Fuentes did not shake his hand. The brother then claimed that Guzman had made it clear that he wanted Fuentes dead and finally ordered his murder.
A corrupt police commander was also murdered in 2008 for telling people "that he was going to finish [Zambada’s] brother and Chapo ", and another drug dealer who was hit by" a shower of bullets [an] AK-47 "who almost dropped his head," said the witness.
While Zambada was speaking, the jurors were shown the image of a diamond-encrusted 38 caliber pistol with the initials of Guzman – "JGL" for Joaquin Guzman Loera. Zambada also said Guzman would carry several firearms at a time, including AK-47s, AR-15s and bazookas.
Zambada recounted that one of his paid informants within law enforcement had recounted that the authorities were about to capture Guzman, who was hiding in the mountains of Sinaloa State in Mexico after his first escape from prison in 2001. It had been suggested that the cartel pay USD 250,000. a bribe to a senior officer, after which, "the operation was interrupted and there was no problem," he said. In another case, Zambada said it was ordered to pay $ 100,000 to a Mexican general.
The defense argued that co-operators such as Zambada encouraged Guzman to gain favor with the court in their own criminal cases. In cross-examination on Monday, the defense tried to suggest to Zambada to downplay its role in the cartel and to exaggerate that of Guzman as a mythical pillar when in fact he claimed that He had hidden most of his life as a crime and had not called for fire.
Defense lawyer William Purpura asked Zambada how it was possible for Guzman to overtake his opponent when it was obvious that Guzman needed to buy his cocaine stock in Zambada. To emphasize the fact, the lawyer removed Zambada's identity photo from a lower part of an organization chart posted in the audience room and the Placed above that of Guzman.
"How does it look?" the lawyer asked.
"Very good," the witness said with a smirk before quickly qualifying the answer by adding, "I am below him."
Throughout the day, Guzman took every opportunity to search his wife, Emma Coronel Aispuro, 29, for waves and smiles. The queen of beauty, once famous, was regularly present in court, although the judge of the case rejected the request of Guzman to "take his wife in his arms" at the beginning of the month.
At one point in Zambada's testimony, Aispuro was bent over his seat, his head in his hands, in apparent exasperation.
Guzman, who was extradited to New York early last year, pleaded not guilty to charges of drug trafficking. If he was found guilty, he was facing a life sentence.
Marta Dhanis of Fox News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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