A California man remains detained in Mexico after being arrested following a soccer match on allegations that he is a cartel leader, according to his wife.
Joel Rene Cardenas Carrillo, a 46-year-old US citizen from Visalia, traveled to the Mexican state of Colima in July to visit his father, his wife, Veronica Sanchez, said. Sanchez has since started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for his legal defense.
What began as a brief family visit has become a monthslong ordeal, with Cardenas still being held in Mexico.
Sanchez said her husband was arrested in Manzanillo on Aug. 12, along with several other men, after attending a soccer game. Mexican media reports said authorities accuse the group of illegally siphoning fuel from a pipeline.
Sanchez maintains that Cardenas was not involved in the alleged offense.
“He’s being accused of — he’s the boss, the boss of the entire Mexican City cartel,” Sanchez told YourCentralValley.
“He’s a US citizen and didn’t commit the crime.”
According to reports from Mexico, prosecutors have accused Cardenas and the other men of stealing hydrocarbons from a Pemex pipeline in the Tapeixtles area of Manzanillo.
His family says he was taken into custody after leaving the soccer match and is now seeking evidence that could show where he was when the alleged crime occurred.
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Reports say Cardenas has lived in the United States for more than 20 years. His wife and two children, all American citizens, remain in California while he goes through legal proceedings in Mexico.
Sanchez said she traveled to Mexico to search for answers and try to bring her husband home, but struggled to obtain information about his case or find legal representation.
“I was trying to prove, you know, he’s a citizen. They hurt him. They were torturing him,” she told YourCentralValley.
The family has turned to crowdfunding to cover the cost of an attorney and other legal expenses.
The GoFundMe campaign states that Sanchez contacted Mexican authorities, attorneys and consular officials but has had difficulty receiving clear information about her husband’s detention.
“I really don’t know why. There’s no reason. There’s no — they don’t even have proof. There’s no proof,” Sanchez told YourCentralValley.
Mexican media reports indicate that Cardenas’ next court hearing is scheduled for Oct. 20.
The prolonged uncertainty has placed an emotional and financial strain on Sanchez and the rest of the family.
“We miss him, and we want him to come home,” she said.
The Post has contacted the US Department of State and Mexican authorities for comment.
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