Aug/25 Garcia Abrego unlikely hero to some
By FERNANDO DEL VALLE
Valley Morning Star
LA PALOMA -- Juan Garcia Abrego may be one of the FBI's most wanted criminals,
but he's a hometown hero to some in this colonia that rises from the fields of
sugar cane along the Rio Grande.
As the reputed head of the Gulf cartel negotiated a possible surrender with
Mexican authorities this week, a group of young men seemed in awe of the man
who rose from poverty to amass wealth and influence beyond a homeboy's dreams.
"He should stay in Mexico, it's better for him," said a young man who
refused to give his name. "He'll be well taken care of there."
As part of his surrender terms, Garcia Abrego has demanded that he not be
extradited to the United States to face drug trafficking charges. He also
demands that he be jailed in the Mexican prison of his choice and wants his
wife and numerous girlfriends to be allowed to inherit his multi-million
dollar fortune.
If Garcia Abrego is seen as a hero in the colonia where he grew up, that view
should not be considered aberrant, said Al Nelson, a professor of sociology at
The University of Texas-Pan American.
"They think, `He got out, he succeeded. That's all that matters,' " Nelson
said. "If you're born at the bottom and somebody makes it and makes it big,
then that guy's hope for you."
But others in La Paloma see Garcia Abrego as a disgrace who belongs in prison.
In the community of small, brightly colored homes where some of the Garcia
Abrego family still live, Manuela Leal prayed for the nephew who grew up
across the street to become the man believed to be one of the world's most
powerful drug lords.
"I don't want to know anything about him," the elderly woman said in Spanish
as she shook her head. "I don't even speak to the family. May God bless
him."
Some here remember Garcia Abrego as a nice, quiet boy who was paid little
notice when he left the community as a young man.
Others said they were afraid to say anything about the man wanted on multiple
murder charges in Mexico.
A former classmate, Cris Esquivel, said there was nothing that stood out about
the boy she knew in school.
"He was just a quiet kid," she said as she walked with her children along
the narrow gravel streets.
A general store clerk who refused to give his name said he remembered Garcia
Abrego as a 14-year-old boy who often played with the neighborhood children.
"He was just like the other kids, a nice kid," he said.
The clerk also said he didn't believe the boy he remembered could have become
the man accused of being a murderous drug baron.
"Who's to say exactly what he's done," he said. "The only thing you know is
what you read in the newspapers."
A young man who identified himself as Kika Garcia compared Garcia Abrego to
the ruthless drug lord in the 1983 movie, "Scarface." The film depicts a
young man who uses his wits and nerve to rise from poverty to rule a cocaine
empire.
Even if imprisoned, Garcia Abrego would not lose control of his empire, said
Jesse Jimenez, a young man who gathered with Garcia.
"Even if he's locked up, there's going to be people working for him on the
outside," Jimenez said.
Garcia agreed. "That guy, you're never going to stop him."
Garcia Abrego commands that type of respect because he succeeded despite
society's obstacles, Nelson said.
"We teach everyone to want the same goals of money, respect and power, and we
teach them how to get it," Nelson said. "One of the main approved paths is
through education.
"But what happens if a group of people comes to believe the approved path is
closed to them? That makes sense that they would think of him as a hero."
But some residents said they wanted to see Garcia Abrego locked up far away
from their community.
"The sooner he turns himself in, the better, no matter what jail he goes
into, as long as he's isolated," said Eddie Abrego, who said he was no
relation to the Garcia Abrego family.
