Drug lord ballads shared on social media in recent years have praised the exploits and subsequent arrest of a violent drug lord responsible for the murder of a respected journalist in Mexico.
Carlos Arturo Quintana, known in the criminal underworld as “El 80”, is the leader of “La Linea” – an armed faction of the Nova Juárez cartel in Chihuahua. He is currently sitting in U.S. custody awaiting trial on drug conspiracy charges. Although Mexican authorities arrested him in 2018, U.S. authorities were not able to extradite him until August 2022. At the time of his arrest, Quintana was listed as one of the FBI’s most wanted men. Court documents show a trial date of Oct. 24, but the process could be extended. If convicted, he faces 20 years to life in prison.
drug music
In Mexico, most drug lords tend to use one or more drug lord or ballads to praise their exploits, threaten their opponents, or brag about their lavish lifestyle. The songs can also provide insights into criminals and their actions.
On platforms like YouTube, there are two songs dedicated to Quintana. One can be found on Aldo Márquez Trejo’s channel, dubbed “El corrido del 80”, about the arrests of 2018.
Another narco corrido named “Capture 80” on the Compa Gejor channel was apparently linked to the failed arrest of criminals in Cuauhtémoc. In the song, Quintana makes a threat to those who “churn the hornet’s nest.”
criminal history
In addition to the charges listed in the United States, in Mexico, Quintana was also charged with planning the March 2017 murder of journalist Miroslava Breach. According to federal authorities, his criminal activity dates back to 2009, when he was identified as the head of “Los Linces.” He led a shootout in which 21 people were killed at Villa Ahumada in Ciudad Juarez. For the next seven years, he worked to bribe police officers in Batcheniva, Buenaventura, Quartermoke, Guerrero and South Quipa counties.
The turf war between El 80 and César “El Cabo” Gamboa Sosa has sparked heated discussions among the authorities. The standoff is to control trafficking routes and drug sales in northwest Chihuahua. On March 20, 2017, Quintana ordered the final blow when three of his killers killed El Cabo.
El 80 even clashed with his former boss during his criminal career. According to authorities, El 80 was the mastermind behind the murder of Jesús Luján Weckman, a well-known businessman in Chihuahua, former owner of Quintana and head of La Linea in Jalisco. Lujan’s death allowed Quintana to expand his domain.
Throughout his criminal career, El 80 has been under the protection of senior municipal police, including Héctor Martínez, Jesús Hinojosa Rascón, Pedro José Bencomo Bustillos and his cousin Elier Daniel Gutiérrez Quintana, deputy of the Namiquipa City Police Department Secretary. Over time, each of these officers was arrested.
kill a reporter
In March 2016, a report published by Miroslava Breach revealed that her mother-in-law, Silva Mariscal Estrada, was about to rule Mexico for more than 70 years. The names of other politicians linked to drug dealers he intended to hold senior government positions in the northwestern region of Chihuahua were also discovered and exposed by Breach. Cartel gunmen shot and killed Breach in March 2017. Several cartel members and a mayor have been jailed for crimes since the murder.
Editor’s note: Breitbart Texas travels to Mexico City and the states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila and Nuevo Leon to recruit citizen journalists willing to risk their lives to expose cartels that silence their communities. Without the use of pseudonyms, the writers would have faced the death of various cartels operating in areas such as the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas. Breitbart Chronicle of the Texas Cartel Published in English and original Spanish. This article is sponsored by “Dharma Fernández”, from Baja California and “CP Mireles” from Tamaulipas.
