Yuriana Castillo, a 23-year-old model of American descent, passed away on May 7, 2014, in Culiacan, Mexico.
Castillo was known to have associations with Mexican drug cartels and traffickers. Her husband was reportedly involved with Los Antrax, a prominent faction of the Sinaloa cartel.
Who Was Yuriana Castillo? Yuriana Castillo was a model and performer, renowned in the “buchona” scene, which refers to the ostentatious lifestyle associated with the girlfriends of 21st-century narcos.
Castillo was the partner of José Rodrigo Aréchiga Gamboa, also known by his alias “El Chino Ántrax.” The couple had a child together.
Her partner, Gamboa, is a notorious figure in the Mexican Drug Cartel, wanted for his involvement as a professional hitman and high-ranking member.
Castillo was also associated with Javier Torres, known as el JT, and Manuel Torres, known as el Ondeado, both wanted leaders of the Sinaloa cartel.
What Caused Yuriana Castillo Torres’ Death? Yuriana Castillo’s cause of death was determined to be suffocation due to hanging. Her lifeless body was discovered a day after her disappearance on May 7, 2014.
Mexican authorities found Castillo’s body at 6:45 am the following day in an empty lot in Culiacan’s Lomas de Guadalupe neighborhood. Her family positively identified her at the forensic department.
According to forensic examination, Castillo endured torture, evident from head injuries sustained from multiple blows, as well as her hands and legs being bound with an electric cable.
Her lifeless body, wrapped in white sheets and bound with electrical cables, was discovered near the Autonomous University of Sinaloa. Despite extensive investigation, no conclusive evidence was found at the scene.
Members of Los Antrax expressed their grief by placing a floral tribute in her honor at the funeral home where her wake was held.
Yuriana Castillo’s story is shrouded in mystery, marked by complex circumstances from the beginning.
Following the arrest of her partner, José Rodrigo Aréchiga Gamboa, Castillo lived with her child. On May 6, 2014, she was abducted by several armed men while leaving her gymnasium and heading to her car.
Eyewitnesses reported several men arriving in a truck and forcibly taking her away, leaving behind a purple shoe on the road. Twenty-four hours later, another witness observed several men dropping a wrapped bundle, which was later identified as Castillo’s body.
On January 3, 2014, Dutch police apprehended a 33-year-old individual at Latin America to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol for using a fake identity.
Initially, the detainee’s true identity was undisclosed by authorities. However, a leak to the media by an unnamed U.S. government agent and local newspapers in Mexico revealed that the individual was indeed Arechiga Gamboa. Reports indicated that Gamboa traveled under the alias Norberto Sicairos García.
Subsequently, the U.S. government confirmed the individual’s identity as the drug lord Gamboa and transferred him to the Vught maximum security prison.
Charges Against Yuriana Castillo Torres’ Partner, El Chino Antrax:
El Chino Antrax pleaded guilty on March 20, 2015, to charges of trafficking cocaine and marijuana from Mexico to the U.S. and involvement in violent activities.
On May 15, 2020, police discovered three bodies alongside a black SUV. Among the deceased was Jose Rodrigo Arechiga Gamboa, who had been shot and wrapped in fabric. The other two bodies were identified as Antrax’s brothers-in-law. Later reports suggested that high-ranking Sinaloa Cartel officials likely ordered Gamboa’s assassination.
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