Héctor 'El Güero' Palma In Custody Until Mid-June, But On What Charges?

“MX” for Borderland Beat

After he was acquitted and released from prison a little over a week ago, Sinaloa Cartel founding member Hector “El Güero” Palma (age 80) was re-arrested outside the prison gates. Federal authorities said he was facing more criminal charges and described it as an “urgent case”. No more details were given.

However, Palma’s attorney José Gabriel Hernández Martínez confirmed to a Mexican media outlet that it is likely that Palma will be released on 15 June 2021, when his 40 day preventative arrest (Spanish: arraigo) term ends.

As determined by Mexican law, a person detained under arraigo may be held without formal charges for up to 40 days with a judge’s approval, or up to 80 days with further judicial approval, just as long as the detainee is suspected of cartel involvement.

By such rules, Palma could be released by mid-June if the presiding judge is not convinced that the prosecution’s evidences against him are sufficient. Palma’s attorney is convinced that will be the case.

The attorney explained that Palma was re-arrested on an old 1996 indictment for which he was already tried and absolved. He suspects that Palma was re-arrested to prevent media and political backlash.

“It was easy to re-arrest Palma without any clear charges because of his bad reputation … the arraigo issued shows that Mexican authorities have no proof that he has committed any crime, otherwise they would not need 40 days to gather evidences against him”, he said.

Palma’s release and re-arrest garnered international headlines and worried Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO), who said that Mexico was about to become the target of international ridicule.

More on Palma’s background

Palma was born in La Noria de Abajo, municipality of Mocorito, Sinaloa, where he reportedly met Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, (‘The Godfather’), who recruited him as a hitman. He eventually met Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán and both became business partners.

In 1995, he was arrested while heading to a wedding on his private jet. While flying his jet suffered engine problems and he had to do a forced landing near the Jalisco and Nayarit state borders. His arrest confirmed what many Mexicans had long known: in Mexico, the police are for sale and drug lords are purchasing them. When Palma was arrested, most of his entourage were active members of the Federal Judicial Police (PJF).

Palma was imprisoned at the Federal Social Readaptation Center No. 2 (“Puente Grande”), the infamous prison where El Chapo escaped in 2001. In Mexico, Palma won several appeals and had his charges dropped multiple times.

However, in 2007, Palma was extradited to the U.S. and sentenced for his drug trafficking involvement. He was deported back to Mexico in 2016 and was re-arrested by Mexican authorities who were waiting for him at the border crossing. He was released from prison a week ago and re-apprehended for charges that have not been clearly revealed.

Sources: Zeta Tijuana; Infobae; Noroeste; La Jornada; Borderland Beat archives