U.S.-Born Suspected Drug Lord 'La Barbie' to Be Held in Mexico for 40 Days Pending Probe

Aug. 31: Major drug trafficker Edgar "La Barbie" Valdez is presented during a news conference at the federal police center in Mexico City (Reuters).

MEXICO CITY – A Mexican judge has ordered a US-born suspected drug lord known as "La Barbie" be held for 40 days pending an investigation into organized crime and other charges.

The Attorney General's Office says Edgar Valdez Villarreal will be held at federal police headquarters while prosecutors decide whether to formally charge him.

Mexican authorities are also trying to decide whether to try Valdez in Mexico or deport him to the United States, where he faces cocaine charges in three different states.

Valdez, the alleged leader of the Beltran Leyva cartel, which is based in central Mexico, was born in Laredo, Texas, and has been living illegally in Mexico. The drug-trafficking suspect had acquired the name "La Barbie" because of his fair complexion, authorities said.

The Attorney General's Office announced the judge's decision in a statement Saturday. Valdez was captured Monday following a yearlong investigation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report