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| Texas cartel killing: two men guilty of conspiracy to commit murder for hire | Texas cartel killing: two men guilty of conspiracy to commit murder for hire |
| (4 months later) | |
| A trial that illustrated how Mexico’s brutal drug wars seeped into an upscale Dallas suburb has ended with guilty verdicts for two men who painstakingly laid the groundwork for the killing of a Texas-based senior cartel figure. | A trial that illustrated how Mexico’s brutal drug wars seeped into an upscale Dallas suburb has ended with guilty verdicts for two men who painstakingly laid the groundwork for the killing of a Texas-based senior cartel figure. |
| Jesús Gerardo Ledezma Cepeda and his cousin, Jose Luis Cepeda Cortes, were convicted of interstate stalking and conspiracy to commit murder for hire for their involvement in the killing of Juan Jesus Guerrero Chapa. He was the personal lawyer of Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, the former leader of the Gulf cartel. | Jesús Gerardo Ledezma Cepeda and his cousin, Jose Luis Cepeda Cortes, were convicted of interstate stalking and conspiracy to commit murder for hire for their involvement in the killing of Juan Jesus Guerrero Chapa. He was the personal lawyer of Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, the former leader of the Gulf cartel. |
| The court heard that the shooting was at the behest of a vengeful Mexico-based rival cartel boss known as El Gato, who blamed Guerrero Chapa for the death of his father years earlier. | The court heard that the shooting was at the behest of a vengeful Mexico-based rival cartel boss known as El Gato, who blamed Guerrero Chapa for the death of his father years earlier. |
| Both defendants had maintained their innocence, while Ledezma Cepeda’s 32-year-old son, Jesus Gerardo Ledezma Campano, pleaded guilty to a stalking charge before the trial and testified for the prosecution. All three were arrested in September 2014. | Both defendants had maintained their innocence, while Ledezma Cepeda’s 32-year-old son, Jesus Gerardo Ledezma Campano, pleaded guilty to a stalking charge before the trial and testified for the prosecution. All three were arrested in September 2014. |
| Cepeda Cortes, 60, who lived as a legal permanent resident in Texas, claimed that he was simply using his technology skills to help out a relative and was unaware he was facilitating a murder. His lawyer argued that he was so ignorant of the endgame that during the operation he travelled to Los Angeles to take part in a Spanish-language equivalent of America’s Got Talent. | Cepeda Cortes, 60, who lived as a legal permanent resident in Texas, claimed that he was simply using his technology skills to help out a relative and was unaware he was facilitating a murder. His lawyer argued that he was so ignorant of the endgame that during the operation he travelled to Los Angeles to take part in a Spanish-language equivalent of America’s Got Talent. |
| Sentencing will take place on 22 September. Wes Ball, an attorney for Ledezma Cepeda, said that his client will appeal. He said that it is hard to convey to Americans the pressures faced by people in Mexico who fall under cartel influence but feel unable to ask the authorities for help. | Sentencing will take place on 22 September. Wes Ball, an attorney for Ledezma Cepeda, said that his client will appeal. He said that it is hard to convey to Americans the pressures faced by people in Mexico who fall under cartel influence but feel unable to ask the authorities for help. |
| “We thought we had an extremely viable duress defence. We’re somewhat disappointed,” he told the Guardian. | “We thought we had an extremely viable duress defence. We’re somewhat disappointed,” he told the Guardian. |
| Ball said that the extent of his client’s involvement in other operations may have proved problematic for the jury. “At least nine people died that were tracked down and killed, and that’s a difficult hurdle to jump,” he said. | Ball said that the extent of his client’s involvement in other operations may have proved problematic for the jury. “At least nine people died that were tracked down and killed, and that’s a difficult hurdle to jump,” he said. |
| The accused were trackers who mounted a sophisticated years-long surveillance operation to find and follow Guerrero Chapa, who was gunned down while he sat in his Range Rover in a parking area of a smart shopping mall between Dallas and Fort Worth on 22 May 2013. His wife, who was stowing bags, was unhurt. | The accused were trackers who mounted a sophisticated years-long surveillance operation to find and follow Guerrero Chapa, who was gunned down while he sat in his Range Rover in a parking area of a smart shopping mall between Dallas and Fort Worth on 22 May 2013. His wife, who was stowing bags, was unhurt. |
| Cárdenas Guillén is in a federal “super-max” prison in Colorado, serving a 25-year sentence handed down in 2010 for drug-related crimes. | Cárdenas Guillén is in a federal “super-max” prison in Colorado, serving a 25-year sentence handed down in 2010 for drug-related crimes. |
| Defence attorneys in this case argued that Guerrero Chapa became the de facto head of the Gulf cartel after Cardenas Guillen’s capture, meaning that he had numerous enemies. Court filings indicated that the 43-year-old, also under threat because he was a US government informant, feared for his life around the time of his death. | Defence attorneys in this case argued that Guerrero Chapa became the de facto head of the Gulf cartel after Cardenas Guillen’s capture, meaning that he had numerous enemies. Court filings indicated that the 43-year-old, also under threat because he was a US government informant, feared for his life around the time of his death. |
| At least nine people died that were tracked down and killed, and that’s a difficult hurdle to jump | At least nine people died that were tracked down and killed, and that’s a difficult hurdle to jump |
| The trial began on 25 April amid tight security at the federal courthouse in downtown Fort Worth. The Dallas Morning News reported that one of the jurors asked to be excused this week after becoming anxious and depressed while hearing some of the grisly details, which included an allegation that a relative of Guerrero Chapa ordered the beheading of one of El Gato’s family members as revenge. | The trial began on 25 April amid tight security at the federal courthouse in downtown Fort Worth. The Dallas Morning News reported that one of the jurors asked to be excused this week after becoming anxious and depressed while hearing some of the grisly details, which included an allegation that a relative of Guerrero Chapa ordered the beheading of one of El Gato’s family members as revenge. |
| Lawyers on both sides argued this week over whether the jury should be allowed to consider if Ledezma Cepeda was acting under duress because he feared for his safety and that of his family if he did not carry out orders. | Lawyers on both sides argued this week over whether the jury should be allowed to consider if Ledezma Cepeda was acting under duress because he feared for his safety and that of his family if he did not carry out orders. |
| “The evidence shows that he was required to continually report to El Gato concerning his activities and progress,” his representatives wrote in a court filing on Wednesday, a day before jurors began deliberating. The court heard that the 59-year-old was given instructions to hunt Guerrero Chapa at a meeting in a blood-stained tyre shop. Ledezma Cepeda’s lawyers said that he was a onetime police officer turned private investigator whose principle business was checking on cheating spouses. | “The evidence shows that he was required to continually report to El Gato concerning his activities and progress,” his representatives wrote in a court filing on Wednesday, a day before jurors began deliberating. The court heard that the 59-year-old was given instructions to hunt Guerrero Chapa at a meeting in a blood-stained tyre shop. Ledezma Cepeda’s lawyers said that he was a onetime police officer turned private investigator whose principle business was checking on cheating spouses. |
| The prosecution said that Ledezma Cepeda did not ask US authorities for help, even when he went to a police station in Florida to seek public records about the victim, and that instead of fleeing to live in another country he decided to stay in Mexico because he could not sell his house for a fair price. “Ledezma was motivated by money, not fear,” assistant US attorney Joshua Burgess said in a court filing on Tuesday. | The prosecution said that Ledezma Cepeda did not ask US authorities for help, even when he went to a police station in Florida to seek public records about the victim, and that instead of fleeing to live in another country he decided to stay in Mexico because he could not sell his house for a fair price. “Ledezma was motivated by money, not fear,” assistant US attorney Joshua Burgess said in a court filing on Tuesday. |
| Ledezma was motivated by money, not fear | Ledezma was motivated by money, not fear |
| “The evidence at trial shows that defendant Ledezma was involved in stalking at least two individuals that were murdered prior to the murder of Chapa. Additionally, there is evidence before the Court that defendant Ledezma continued to stalk other individuals that were subsequently murdered after Chapa’s death. In effect, defendant Ledezma is seeking to make himself someone who could never be prosecuted. At the time of his arrest, he was texting with Gato about the murder of the driver of a Mini Cooper and joking about it,” Burgess wrote. | “The evidence at trial shows that defendant Ledezma was involved in stalking at least two individuals that were murdered prior to the murder of Chapa. Additionally, there is evidence before the Court that defendant Ledezma continued to stalk other individuals that were subsequently murdered after Chapa’s death. In effect, defendant Ledezma is seeking to make himself someone who could never be prosecuted. At the time of his arrest, he was texting with Gato about the murder of the driver of a Mini Cooper and joking about it,” Burgess wrote. |
| The jury was told that the accused planted GPS tracking devices on Guerrero Chapa’s cars and placed a camouflaged camera on the front lawn of his mansion.Guerrero Chapa’s killers are believed to be at large. It emerged at trial that the suspected getaway driver was known as “Captain” – a reference to his onetime rank as a Mexican police officer – while the alleged shooter was nicknamed “Clorox” after the brand of bleach he uses to clean up his work. | The jury was told that the accused planted GPS tracking devices on Guerrero Chapa’s cars and placed a camouflaged camera on the front lawn of his mansion.Guerrero Chapa’s killers are believed to be at large. It emerged at trial that the suspected getaway driver was known as “Captain” – a reference to his onetime rank as a Mexican police officer – while the alleged shooter was nicknamed “Clorox” after the brand of bleach he uses to clean up his work. |
| Information from the Associated Press was used in this report | Information from the Associated Press was used in this report |
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