User:Chigurh01/Luis Medrano

Luis Medrano was an enforcer for the Gulf Cartel in the early 1980's and 1990's. He was second in command of drug trafficking under HEAD BOSS Juan Garcia Abrego. In 1985 Garcia Abrego ordered the killing of Casimiro "Cacho" Espinoza to get rid of the comprtition. Later, Luis Medrano , began working for Juan Garcia Abrego. Agent Claudio de La O testified that during converations with Luis Medrano, Medrano referred to Garcia Abrego as "El Jefe" and "Patron". In a recorded statement, Medrano also stated he went to work for "El Jefe" after Casimiro Espinoza, Medrano's former boss was killed. Luis Medrano worked as manger and supervisor one step below Garcia Abrgo. Perez also testified that everyone in the drug trafficking organiztion including Garcia Abrego referred to Medrano and Malherbe as "the boys". Medrano enlisted the services of numerous individuals such as Jaime Rivas Gonzales, Tony Ortiz , Tomas " Gringo " Sanchez and Juan Ibarra to move cocaine into the United States and then move money back to Mexico. Garcia Abrego used money from drug dealing to buy ranches in Soto La Marina an area south of Matamoros. Medrano orchestrated for tons of cocaine to be then flown into these ranches and from there to be moved to Matamoros.

Tomas "Gringo" Sanchez ordered the killing of a colombian drug trafficker in a Matamoros jail. As a result of the killing, a riot broke out, killing two members of Garcia Abrego's organiztion. Garcia Abrgo also found out Sanchez had lost lots of money for his organization. Later, Luis Medrano ordered Sanchez killed. Another person ordered to be killed by orders of Luis Medrano was Oscar "El Profe" Lopez Olivares for threatening to uncover Garcia Abrego's organization. To meet with Juan Garcia Abrego an intermediary, Carlos Resendez was used by Luis Medrano and Oscar Malherbe. Carlos Resendez testified that Medrano ,Malherbe and Sergio "Checo" Gomez met with Garcia Abrego to talk about his drug business. Under instruction of Medrano Tony Ortiz delivered cocaine into the United States. Francisco Segura testified he worked for Ortiz and later ordered to collcet debts by Medrano and Malherbe in New York. Carlos Rodriguez testified he began trafficking cocaine under direction of Luis Medrano and Oscar Malherbe in 1986 and they told him which colombian cartel he was to do business with. William Allen Hoffman testified he delivered ten to twenty loads of cocaine for Mderano and when he delivered to New York his contact person was Tomas "Gringo" Sanchez. Jaime Rivas testified he transported cocaine from Harlingen to Houston for Luis Medrano and that he met with Medrano two to three times per week in regards to cocaine shipments.

Jaime Rivas testified that he informed Medrano about the load of cocaine lost at the Sarita checkpoint and that Medrano instructed Malherbe to tell "El Senor" about the lost load. At this point,Medrano informed Rivas that Garcia Abrego was the boss and that he had to be told about the seizure. Hoffman testified that he purchased a motor home at the direction of Luis Medrano and that Medrano instructed him to take the motor home to Grand Prairie ,Texas to have a false bottom put in it. Rivas testified that on August 29,1989 he contacted Medrano and told him that the cocaine taht he delivered to Munguia the previous evening had been seized. According to Rivas, Medrano then instructed him to contact Munguia in San Antonio and have him come to Houston. Additionally Rivas testified that Medrano informed him of the seizure of cocaine at the Arrowrock residence. Tony Ortiz testified that he met Nieto at Medrano's home where Nieto was meeting with Medrano to discuss cocaine transportation. According to Ortiz ,Nieto had lost a load of the organiztion's cocaine, and Medrano did not want to use him for tansportation anymore. Medrano met with Nieto to turn over the cocaine he still had to Ortiz for transportation. Francisco Segura was later arrested and at the time he had in his possession a telephone book containing a code that Segura testified was givento him by Medrano for use in deciphering encoded telephone numbers given to Segura by group members. Jaime Rivas testified that he was reponsible for delivering the load of money seized at Rapid Truck Repair of Matamoros,Mexico and that he recieved his instructions on the disposition of the money from Luis Medrano. Horace Vega testified that in Januarary 1991 he met with Luis Medrano and discussed building a frozen food warehouse that would be used to distribute cocaine. Medrano told Vega that he would recieve the money from Jesse Ceballos and Jaime Ibarra in Houston. Therafter, Vega spoke with Medrano again, and Medrano became upset when he found out that Vega had not been able to pick up the money necessary to secure a contract for the warehouse. Vega testified that he recieved orders from Jesse Ceballos to purchase trash compactors because Luis Medrano needed them to package 40,000 pounds of marijuana. Vega testified that on September 6,1991 he picked up $1.4 million dollars from Jesse Ceballos at a residence in Houston pursuant to instructions from Malherbe and Medrano. The testimony of coconspirators provided a basis to conclude (1) that Luis Medrano and Oscar Malherbe worked directly for Garcia Abrego and that he delegated to them substantial managerial authority (2) that Medrano and Malherbe in turn delegated responsibiity for smuggling drugs and their proceeds to individuals such as Jaime Rivas,Tony Ortiz and Carlos Rodriguez and (3) that these individuals in turn recruited numerous other individuals to actually package.load and ship narcotics and their proceeds.