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El Chapo trial: accountant exposes details of cartel's vast operations
Source: The Guardian
El Chapo trial: accountant exposes details of cartel's vast operations
Jesús Zambada García lays out Sinaloa cartel’s complex financial structure as his former boss listens in New York
Ed Vulliamy in New York
Thu 15 Nov 2018 02.22 GMT
The inner workings – and vast financial scale – of what is alleged to be the world’s biggest narco-trafficking organisation, the Sinaloa cartel, began to be laid bare on Wednesday by a former leader of the syndicate, Jesús Zambada García, testifying against his own immediate boss, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, on trial in New York.
Zambada, the cartel’s chief accountant for more than 15 years, said his brother, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, and Guzman were considered the top leaders of the Sinaloa cartel.
Ismael Zambada, now presumed to be running the organisation, is said by many to be behind a betrayal of Guzmán.
The prosecution called Jesús Zambada García as only its third witness, causing surprise that one of the crucial “snitch” witnesses who have turned state’s evidence had appeared so soon; Zambada was arrested in 2008 on drug trafficking charges, extradited and pleaded guilty.
Direct examination began by establishing Zambada’s proximity to Guzmán: ...
-snip-
Jesús Zambada García lays out Sinaloa cartel’s complex financial structure as his former boss listens in New York
Ed Vulliamy in New York
Thu 15 Nov 2018 02.22 GMT
The inner workings – and vast financial scale – of what is alleged to be the world’s biggest narco-trafficking organisation, the Sinaloa cartel, began to be laid bare on Wednesday by a former leader of the syndicate, Jesús Zambada García, testifying against his own immediate boss, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, on trial in New York.
Zambada, the cartel’s chief accountant for more than 15 years, said his brother, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, and Guzman were considered the top leaders of the Sinaloa cartel.
Ismael Zambada, now presumed to be running the organisation, is said by many to be behind a betrayal of Guzmán.
The prosecution called Jesús Zambada García as only its third witness, causing surprise that one of the crucial “snitch” witnesses who have turned state’s evidence had appeared so soon; Zambada was arrested in 2008 on drug trafficking charges, extradited and pleaded guilty.
Direct examination began by establishing Zambada’s proximity to Guzmán: ...
-snip-
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/14/el-chapo-trial-sinaloa-cartel-accountant-new-york