Las Poquianchis: The Macabre Case That Shocked Mexico

A mob awaits eagerly to lynch Las Poquianchis (foreground, in black) as theyre escorted by police.

Chain smoking Maria de Jesus and Delfina Gonzalez Valenzuela shortly after being jailed in 1964


- In the first weeks of January 1964, Catalina Ortega went to the Judicial Police office in Leon, Guanajuato and told a macabre tale. Visibly shaken, scared and showing signs of abuse and malnourishment, Ortega told the police officers that in nearby San Pancho, the Gonzalez sisters held a sort of concentration camp/ brothel. Thus began the most scandalous and sordid tale of prostitution and murder, the most shocking in annals of Mexican crime history.


Delfina, Maria de Jesus, Carmen and Maria Luisa Gonzalez Valenzuela were born in El Salto de Juanacatlan, Jalisco in poverty. Their father, Isidro Torres was an abusive and authoritarian man. He formed a part of the Rural police, during the Porfirio Diaz days, in charge of riding thru town and making sure everything was ok. A violent man, who often abused his power, he shot and killed a man during an argument. When his young daughters wore makeup or "risque" clothing not to his liking, he would lock them up in the town jail to teach them a lesson.

After shooting the man and gaining many enemies, Isidro Torres, his wife Bernardina Valenzuela and their daughters relocated to the small village of San Francisco del Rincon, Guanajuato, called San Pancho by the locals. As the Gonzalez Valenzuela sisters grew older, their constant fear of poverty made them open up some businesses in town. Together with some money they had they opened a saloon in San Pancho, and this bar, although it didnt bring in loads of money, it gave them enough to eat.

Later on they would venture into prostitution. The sisters would bribe local officials with money or the sisters would "bribe" them using their sexual skills. Nevertheless they opened up clandestine brothels in San Francisco del Rincon, Purisima del Rincon, and Leon in Guanajuato state other bordellos in El Salto and San Juan de los Lagos, Jalisco and another one in San Juan del Rio, Queretaro state, near Mexico City.

Carmen, Delfina and Maria de Jesus "Chuy", operated the whorehouses in Guanajuato and Jalisco while Maria Luisa "Eva the Leggy One" ran her bar/brothel near the Mexican border. The sisters bought a bar in Lagos, Jalisco from a gay man nicknamed "El Poquianchi" . The nickname was passed on to the sisters, who were now called Las Poquianchis, a nickname they hated.

They would prowl the countryside, hitting the nearby ranches in Guanajuato or venture into rural Jalisco and Michoacan states and look for the prettiest young girls. They would offer them jobs in Guadalajara or Leon, as maids or waitresses. The poor young peasant girls, with dreams of life in the big city and money, would be happy to oblige. Other times the Gonzalez sisters, with the help of an Army Captain/Henchman and Delfina's lover, Hermengildo Zuniga, would simply snatch the young girls, never to be seen again. In the late 1950's Carmen died due to cancer.

At their "Guadalajara de Noche" and "Barca de Oro" Bars, the young girls would be put to work. The prettiest virgins were saved for later, awaiting patrons with fat wallets, who would pay top peso for an untouched girls. The others would be raped, intimidated and showered with ice water as initiation. The girls would have to buy their clothes and makeup strictly from the Gonzalez sisters.

The girls, held against their will, never being allowed to go outside were controlled by the sisters and Zuniga "The Black Eagle". Delfina's son Ramon Torres "El Tepo" also served as muscle, keeping the girls in line. For years the sisters made tons of money selling booze and whores to soldiers, councilmen, cops and horny villagers.

When one of the girls got pregnant, she would be beaten and forced to abort, the fetuses dumped in the back yards of the brothels or buried at the sisters main ranch that resembled a concentration camp, Loma del Angel. If a girl got too sick, due to malnourishment or an STD or due to an impromptu abortion, she would be locked in a room, starved to death or the other girls would be forced to beat her to death with sticks and heavy logs. "The Black Eagle" and the sister's chauffeur handled the bodies, burning them to ashes or burying them in mass graves. Johns with a lot of cash would also be murdered and their bodies buried, and their cash stolen.

in 1963, Ramon Torres "El Tepo" got into an argument with Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco cops and was shot to death inside one of the Gonzalez' sisters brothel. The police closed down the place and its said that Delfina, Tepo's mother, in a fit of rage ordered Hermenegildo Zuniga to track down the cops who killed her son and kill them on the spot. And kill them he did.

In January 1964, one of the Gonzalez sisters "whores" managed to escape Loma del Angel through a small opening in the wall and fled. Zuniga and his cronies searched for Ortega to kill her but they could not find her throughout the countryside. Ortega managed to get ahold of her mother and together they went to the Leon, Guanajuato police to file a complaint. She was in luck, the cops she talked to were not on the sinister sister's payroll. They soon got a search and arrest warrant against Chuy and Delfina Gonzalez and on January 14th, 1964 they raided Loma del Angel ranch.

Las Poquianchis being taken to their sinister ranch, Loma del Angel, on January 14, 1964


There the sisters, still dressed in black, mourning El Tepos death and wearing shawls were herded throughtout the ranch, while angry villagers gathered outside demanding to lynch the sisters. Police and reporters found a dozen emaciated and dirty women at the ranch, locked in a room. As police and reporters explored the ranch, some of the girls pointed to spots in the ground and told them thats where they would find "the bodies".



2 girls stand near a mass grave as curious villagers look on at Rancho Loma del Angel


Angry and shouting obcenities at their new accusers, the Gonzalez Valenzuela sisters could do nothing but watch as their chauffeur, also arrested, was forced to dig. There authorities found decomposed bodies and the bones of at least 91 women, men and fetuses.

Under heavy military guard, the sisters were taken to a jail San Francisco del Rincon, but seeing as how the whole town wanted to lynch the women, a judge sent them to squalid Irapuato City Jail. A week later, Maria Luisa Gonzalez Valenzuela went to a Mexico City police station and turned herself in, fearing being lynched. She thought she was immune, a judge had granted her immunity from the charges her sisters faced but upon arriving in Irapuato she too was arrested. There began the hectic interrogation and sensational trial of the century.

A girl points an accusatory finger at Delfina Gonzalez Valenzuela as Chuy looks on.


Dozens of ex prostitutes accused the sisters of rape, murder and extortion. The women accused "The Poquianchis" as the women were dubbed by the media, of dabbling in Satanism, forcing the women to practice sexual acts on animals, and killing and torturing dozens of young girls and johns. They accused Delfina, Maria Luisa and Maria de Jesus of corrupting and bribing local and state authorities, who were also regulars to the sisters bars and brothels. The chaotic trial, peppered with insults and yelling back and forth from the Gonzalez sisters and their accusers was short and a judge sentenced the 3 sisters to 40 years in prison.



A Police Officer readies an unhappy Maria de Jesus Gonzalez for her mugshot in San Francisco del Rincon, Guanajuato.

Delfina Gonzalez Valenzuela, the oldest "Poquianchi" went mad, fearing she would be murdered in jail. On October 17, 1968, while she screamed and ranted, workers doing reparations above her cell in Irapuato jail, looked down to catch a glimpse of the notorious woman and accidentaly dropped a bucket of cement on her head, killing her.

Maria Luisa Gonzalez Valenzuela "Eva the Leggy One" died alone in her cell at Irapuato jail on November 19, 1984. Her body, already being eaten by rats, was discovered a day later.

Maria de Jesus Gonzalez Valenzuela, the youngest of the "Poquianchis" was the only one to be freed. It is unknown why or when she was freed, but legend has it she met a 64 year old man in prison, and once both were outside, they married and lived their life in obscurity, finally dying of old age in the mid 1990's

In 2002, workers clearing land for a new housing development in Purisima del Rincon, Guanajuato, down the road from the notorious Loma del Angel ranch, found the remains of about 20 skeletons in a pit. Authorities said the victims were probably buried there in the 1950's or 1960's, victims of Las Poquanchis.

If this is true, it raises the number of murders past 110 people.

(Authors Note: An aunt of my mothers was one of the girls duped into working for the infamous Poquianchis. Out of Guadalajara she was recruited by one of the sisters, either Delfina or Chuy, I forget, but my mother's aunt had luck. She was never forced to prostitute herself but she did help around in one of their seedy bars in Guadalajara. She said the women never really mistreated her other than not paying her enough for her work. Its a subject she doesnt really discuss for obvious reasons)

Carnage on the Highway: The Belize Air Crash of 1987

Charred debris litters the Toluca-Mexico City Highway after the crash of a Boeing 377 cargo jet.


July 30,1987
4:55 pm
east of Mexico City.

The Toluca-Mexico City highway, east of the sprawling Mexican capital was full of commuters at this time of day. Weekend was approaching and many people and families took advantage to leave the capital for outings in the surrounding countryside. A light drizzle fell in a cloudy sky.

None of the people traveling on that particular road at that particular time thought about the infernal horror about to fall on top of them from above.

Near Kilometer 16 of the six lane highway, a small diner/gas station called El Tras Lomita was full of regulars, eating a meal or having a drink at the bar. People outside filled their tanks and headed off.

Mexico City International Airport
5:00 pm

An old World War II era Boeing 377, Belize Air International four engined jet bound for Miami, Florida took off from Benito Juarez airport. Inside were 8 people, 2 American pilots and the rest riders and owners of prize racing ponies. The ponies were unusually agitated that afternoon, moving about the jet, as the trainers tried to calm them. The jet slowly climbed up into the cloudy skies.

Five minutes after takeoff, trouble started on Belize Air International. The jet wasnt gaining altitude as it now flew over downtown Mexico City. The altimeter was failing, the horses moving was rocking the huge cargo plane back and forth. The pilots struggled to pull up the jet as it flew directly towards one of Mexico City's tallest skyscrapers: The Mexicana Airlines Headquarters tower.

The people inside the skyscraper gasped in horror as they saw the antiquated jet fly straight for them and them last minute dodge the building. Disaster had been averted.

Another tall building loomed ahead. The Hotel de Mexico. The jet once again dodged the building, averting huge disaster but it was now certain something was terribly wrong with the flight. The could not risk turning back to the airport and risk losing control of the jet and smashing into the downtown area's heavily populated neighborhoods. 7 minutes after take off, they saw a possible landing area up ahead.

The Mexico City-Toluca Highway.

By this time, a problem with the plane's landing gear caused a short circuit and small fire. All was panic aboard the jet, as the horses lost their cool and caused the jet to rock even more. The pilots decided with a heavy heart to bring down the jet on the congested freeway.

Witnesses on land saw the huge silver bird lose altitude, trailing smoke, going down rapidly. The plane's engines roar was deafening. People ran outside to see what was happening and watching in horror as the jet came down.

One of the jets wings struck a high tension tower showering sparks. Amazingly it flew under a pedestrian bridge spanning the highway and hit some chainlink fences. By now the plane slammed belly first on the highway, raining fire and sparks and smashing into vehicles, killing some motorists instantly and horribly injuring others.

The jet skidded down the highway smashing into cars, trucks and vans, squashing them like mere metallic insects, bursting into flame and smoke. Up ahead, in the path of the out of control jet: The crowded Tras Lomita restaurant.

The jet broke in two. The tail section slammed into a three story home on the side of the highway. The rest of the plane headed straight for the Tras Lomita, slamming into it and exploding. The huge fireball enveloped the already stricken area, killing those who had been injured by the jet's crash-landing.

The scene was something out of Dante's Inferno. Burning smashed up cars, charred bodies and plane wreckage littered the highway. Others ran to help those injured.

Minutes later, firefighters and Red Cross paramedics aided the injured and picked out the bodies from the rubble. Almost all of those aboard the jet had miraculously survived the infernal crash. Out of 18 horses on the cargo jet, 16 were decimated, dead horses littering the road. 2 horses barely alive, limped about, and had to be put down due to their injuries.

Almost 50 people had died in the disaster. Dozens more injured and hospitalized. The American pilots were detained by Mexican authorities and questioned about the crash and the cause but later set free. The cause was determined to be overloading and a problem with the old jet's landing gear. A short circuit had affected the landing gear and prevented the jet from gaining altitude and almost smashing into buildings downtown.

Tarugadas Modernas En Mexico

Que vil pendejada. Ver la juventud de Mexico desprestigiar la nacion. Bola de revoltosos. Aplaudo su deseo de protestar las injusticias que se viven en su jodido y bello Mexico. Digo "Su" porque soy Americano de nacimiento pero Mexicano de corazon, de papas nacidos en esa torturada patria. Pero lo que mas me choca son las abismales babosadas que hacen los mocosos cuando protestan.

Primeramente, cada 2 de Octubre, haciendo desmadres en el DF, segun recordando los muertos de la matanza de Tlatelolco. Quebrando ventanas, grafiteando Mc Donalds, gritando babosadas. Vaya merecido homenaje a los cientos que cayeron muertos bajo la lluvia de balas y bayonetazos en la Plaza de Las Tres Culturas. Andando de cholo vago haciendo desmadre. Se nota que esta bola de holgazanes desorganizados no conocen lo que fue vivir en el 68. Cuando ser un "revoltoso" te ganaba un putazo de los granaderos, una santa madriza de los Halcones, o peor, un balazo del ejercito, o aun peor, te hacian desaparecido la DFS o la Brigada Blanca.

Ahorita ya no existe todo eso. O si existe? Quien Sabe. Tengra grupos de choque Calderon? Hablando de Calderon, o FeCal como lo llaman... se nota que la juventud que lo cataloga a el de "peor presidente", se nota a leguas que son mocosos chillones nacidos despues de 1989 o 1990.

Ignorantes al no conocer las atrocidades de Diaz Ordaz. Mejor dicho atrocidad, la de Tlatelolco. El que se deshizo haciendo cabronada tras cabronada fue su ilustrisimo sucesor, Luis Echeverria Alvarez, autor d Tlatelolco...y no conforme con eso, autor del Halconazo...la matanza de Jueves de Corpus de 1971.

Cuando el ser un estudiante con ideas, era la peor cosa en Mexico. La peor amenaza. Las torturas en los campos militares. Los viajes sin retorno de muchos por helicopteros del ejercito. El boleto sin regreso hacia el fondo del Golfo d Mexico o del Istmo de Tehuantepec. Cuando te volvian "minero" o "submarino" enterrandote en la arena hasta el cuello en las Islas Marias, dejando que la marea se encargara de ti. Los tehuacanazos y toques electricos de los Judiciales, todo en el sexenio de Echeverria y de los que lo siguieron.

Siguio el Licenciado Jose Lopez Portillo(1976 - 1982). Ahora si pensaron Echeverria fue corrupto, vaya este Perro. Poniendo a su cuate el Negro Durazo de Jefe de Policia en el DF. La corrupcion impero. Poniendo gente pendeja y sus conocidos en puestos publicos. Saqueando al pais. Matando, Robando, Asaltando, mientas Lopez Portillo se hacia pendejo segun "defendiendo el peso como un PERRO!" GUAU GUAU! La Matanza del Rio Tula en 1982. Las matanzas de campesinos en Puebla, Veracruz y Guerrero. En fin, pura muerte y tortura.

Ahora nos trasladamos a Los Pinos en tiempo de Don Miguel de La Madrid Hurtado (1982 - 1988). Cuando no solo uno, si no DOS devastadores terremotos sacudieron al territorio nacional y desmadraron la Ciudad de Mexico el 19 y 20 de Septiembre de 1985, al Presidente le valio madre. Fueron 10,000 muertos y miles que quedaron sin hogar. O fueron 6 mil los muertos? o 4? mil? o 20 mil? Quien sabe. "Mexico sigue de Pie" dijo De La Madrid la noche del 19. "No queremos ayuda extranjera, Mexico sabe sobrevivir solo". Si como no. Cuando el Regis se quemaba. Cuando los bebes lloraban en las ruinas del Juarez, del hospital General, del Centro Medico Nacional, cuando los estudiantes gritaban bajo las lozas del Conalep, mientras la gente rezaba esperando una muerte rapida bajo el derrumbado Edificio Nuevo Leon, tuvo el cinismo de decir Mexico Esta de Pie. Le valio madre un sismo de 8.1 grados en la escala de Richter.

Despues dejo la ayuda extranjera entrar al pais. No sin antes detener los equipos de rescate, con todo y pico y pala en las aduanas del AICM. Hasta que pasaran inspecciones. Que poca.

Nos remontamos al ano de 1988. 6 de Julio de 1988 cuando el presidente Cuauhtemoc Cardenas Solorzano...*ahem* digo...el Presidente Carlos Salinas de Gortari "gano" la eleccion. Se cayo el sistema por un buen rato pero ni hablar, el PRI salio triunfador. O LO DUDAN, CANIJOS?

Este fue considerado y es considerado por muchos el peor de los presidentes. Un verdadera lacra. Asesino de Criadas, Hermano amigo y socio de narcos. Saqueador del Pais. El Cardenal Posadas murio en Guadalajara, el Candidato Colosio cayo en Tijuana y Jose Francisco Ruiz Massieu quedo abatido en la calle de Lafragua en el DF. Y Manuel Munoz Rocha? Diputado desaparecido. Ni sus luces. Ratero de orejas grandes, el Casi Sin Grenas. Ya todos conocen la triste historia de su sexenio negro.

La devaluacion del peso llego con Ernesto Zedillo Ponce De Leon. Cosas turbias que pasaron durante su sexenio que han salido a la luz y otras tantas que aun no. La Matanza de Acteal, la de Aguas Blancas en Guerrero.

Y la gente, mas bien la ilustre juventud de hoy dice que FeCal es el peor. Ponganse a estudiar burros...no saben lo que es bueno. Lo de Luz Y Fuerza del Centro, lo de la lucha contra el narco y las supuestas "cortinas de humo" que fueron el secuestro de Aeromexico y el supuesto atentado en el que murieron Mourino y Vasconcelos...no es nada. Lean un libro de historia negra y veran que tantos mas en el pasado si se desenpenaban como verdaderos ojetes, al mando de la nacion. Eduquense antes de decir que "OH! FeCal es Lo Peor". Concretense a mirar novelas churras y escuchar a Belinda y RBD.

Asi que mientras gritan babosadas en el Zocalo o pintan paredes aludando al Che Guevara, espero que no les aparezcan los fantasmas de Diaz Ordaz y Lopez Portillo y les den una buena "calentada". O que no les salgan los granderos de un rincon oscuro y les den una paliza. O que se aparezcan los espectros de los "Halcones" con sus palos de bambo, dispuesto a tundir al que se le ponga en frente. O que salgan los de verde con sus ametralladoras y bayonetas y sus tanques mortiferos.

Esperen nunca ver unas bengalas en el cielo, anunciando sus muertes iminentes mientras protestan....

Asi es Mexico Lindo Y Querido.