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Mexico nabs U.S.-born drug lord ‘La Barbie’

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Mexican authorities captured a legendary Texan on Monday who is accused of a bloody climb to the top echelon of one of the hemisphere’s most powerful drug cartels.

Edgar Valdez Villarreal, known as “La Barbie” for his looks, faces a slew of charges in Mexico, but also is wanted in the United States, where he has been indicted for smuggling thousands of pounds of cocaine into this country.

The U.S. government has offered a reward of up to $2 million for his capture.

In an interview with the Houston Chronicle late Monday, a Houston lawyer representing Valdez, 37, said he fears his client will be tortured or worse before he can be returned to the United States for trial.

“I do not think anyone is safe in the hands of the Mexican military” defense attorney Kent Schaffer said. “Something is going to happen.”

Full Story: Mexico nabs U.S.-born drug lord ‘La Barbie’ | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com – Houston Chronicle

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