Carlos is an employee of the CJNG. He works in the restaurant that the cartel runs in prison. A restaurant? Yes, a restaurant. Ok, we’ve all read about how money buys privileges in prisons all over the world. A report about a Mexican prison many years ago told the story of a raid in the prison; what was found? Apart from the regular stuff like big screen TVs, stills producing alcohol, weapons, umpteen cell phones, etc., they also found prostitutes actually living in the prison and (this is what tickled me) several fighting cocks. Mexicans can live without their wives and girlfriends but not without a good, old cockfight.
Carlos is now in prison, awating his trial. That may conjure up an image in our mind of two lawyers presenting their cases to a jury. Nah. No juries here. Furthermore, when someone is accused of committing a crime, they are whisked off to the clink on the flimsiest of evidence; or a mere accusation will do nicely. In Mexico, the onus is on the defendant to prove his/her innocence. None of that-innocent-until-proven-guilty liberal, airy-fairly nonsense. You’re going down sonny, unless you can pay for a good lawyer to take up your case.
But why, you may ask, would the Mexican authorities want to shove innocent people into prison? After all, inmates cost money and, unlike the USA, where the inmates are essentially customers in privately-owned prisons, the prison system in Mexico is state-run.
