Who is drug lord 'Taliban'? Why was he thrown into the Caribbean sea?

Reinaldo Fuentes, a 68-year-old Venezuelan drug dealer known as 'Taliban,' met a grim end in the Caribbean Sea near Martinique. Fuentes, embroiled in a tumultuous drug feud, found himself handcuffed, gagged, and attached to an anchor before being cast into the unforgiving waters. But who was this enigmatic figure, and what led to this macabre fate?

Fuentes had orchestrated a daring heist, hijacking a cartel's massive 450-pound cocaine shipment, valued at a staggering $10 million, and making off with the cash. Initially discarding the drugs at sea, he concocted a fictitious coast guard pursuit to explain his failure to deliver the narcotics to his superiors. However, his audacious scheme unraveled when his associates turned informants, ultimately sealing his watery fate.

A video shared on social media, captured the horrific moment. Fuentes, bloodied and bound, stared at the camera before being unceremoniously thrown overboard. The sinister act left him with little chance of survival, his hands zip-tied to ensure his doom.

His executioners remain unidentified, with one heard on the video cautioning against showing their faces. The motive behind this chilling act was clear: retribution for the stolen cocaine.

Fuentes had managed to live under an alias, Miguel Fulcar, thanks to a fake national identification document in the Dominican Republic. He led a seemingly ordinary life, dating a prominent lawyer and caring for her daughter in the city of Bonao.

His criminal legacy stretched back to his hometown in Venezuela, where he earned the moniker 'Taliban' due to his illicit dealings with Middle Eastern drug traffickers. Two of his associates met a violent end in a police shootout in Buenos Aires, and a cache of weapons seized from a Bonao residence was reportedly linked to Fuentes.

The 68-year-old's ill-fated journey began on July 14 when he entered the Dominican Republic. He was lured to a cartel meeting on July 17, leading to his abduction and subsequent dumping at sea.

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This incident underscores the ruthlessness of the Clan del Cartel, also known as the Gulf Cartel, one of Mexico's oldest criminal organisations. With a history dating back to the Prohibition Era, the cartel has evolved into a major player in the drug trade, collaborating with the infamous Colombian Cali Cartel to establish trafficking routes to the United States.

Fragmentation within the Gulf Cartel has made it difficult to identify a central leader. In August, former leader Dairo Antonio Usuga David, also known as Otoneil, was sentenced to 45 years in an American prison for his role in the drug trafficking operation.

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