Edgar Valdez-Villareal, the notorious cartel leader known as 'La Barbie', has disappeared from a US federal prison where he was serving a 49-year sentence for drug trafficking and money laundering. The 49-year-old, who led the Los Negros hit squad for the Beltran Leyva cartel, is no longer listed on the Bureau of Prisons website, which states he is 'not in BOP custody'.
Valdez-Villareal was captured in Mexico City in 2010 after a firefight with police and extradited to the United States five years later. He was sentenced in 2015 and had a release date of July 27, 2056. His disappearance has prompted questions from Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who described the situation as 'very strange' and demanded to know his whereabouts.
A Bureau of Prisons spokesperson declined to provide specific details, citing safety, security, or privacy reasons, but noted that inmates can be temporarily removed for court hearings, medical treatment, or 'other reasons'. Security experts have speculated that Valdez-Villareal may be providing information on high-ranking cartel members, though they stress he remains extremely dangerous.
Valdez-Villareal, a US citizen from Laredo, Texas, earned his nickname from a high school football coach due to his blue eyes and light complexion. As a cartel leader, he controlled key drug routes into the US, moving up to two tonnes of drugs per month, and was known for torturing and decapitating his victims, often videotaping the acts.
