Damian Valdez-Galloso, the primary suspect in the murder of Cuban reggaeton artist El Taiger (José Manuel Carbajal Zaldívar), was extradited to Miami International Airport from New York this Wednesday. He had been apprehended on October 29 after evading capture for over 20 days. Dressed in white and under tight security, Valdez-Galloso underwent a thorough inspection upon arrival, adhering to standard procedures to ensure safety and integrity.
Throughout the transport and inspection, the suspect in El Taiger's death remained silent, showing no signs of resistance or remorse. A video shared by Univision journalist Javier Díaz revealed Valdez-Galloso's demeanor as haughty upon his arrival in Miami. He was escorted out of a police vehicle in handcuffs, flanked by two officers.
After the initial inspection, Valdez-Galloso was placed back into the same vehicle that transported him from the airport and taken to another section of the jail for further processing. When asked by the journalist, “Do you have anything to say, Damian?” there was no response.
Upon completion of his medical evaluation, the final step of the process, Valdez-Galloso was admitted to the Miami-Dade County Jail. He is facing multiple charges, including second-degree murder, tampering with evidence, and possession of a firearm.
Details of the Crime from the Arrest Report
The authorities have released a detailed report of the investigation, indicating that the accused shot the reggaeton artist from the doorway of his home and later exited through a back door. He then dragged the victim by the ankles and placed him in a vehicle where police found El Taiger just over an hour later.
Following the shooting, Valdez-Galloso took a few minutes to clean the crime scene and drove El Taiger to the vicinity of the Jackson Memorial Hospital trauma center. The report specifies that El Taiger arrived at Valdez-Galloso's residence at approximately 5:24 a.m., with the shooting occurring shortly thereafter.
While Valdez-Galloso cleaned up, El Taiger, already wounded, was inside the vehicle. Believing he had erased the key evidence, Valdez-Galloso changed clothes and headed to the hospital around 6:00 a.m. Police received an emergency call and arrived at 6:45 a.m., finding El Taiger bleeding from the head near Northwest 9th Avenue and 17th Street in Miami.
The reggaeton artist was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he remained in critical condition for a week before passing away on October 10, sparking grief and shock among his fans.
Profile of the Accused and Criminal Background
Damian Valdez-Galloso, known by the alias "El Narra," has a documented criminal history spanning more than a decade. Between 2007 and 2018, he accumulated six convictions, including two cases involving sexual relations with minors aged 16 to 17 and three for failing to register as a sex offender.
Additionally, in 2018, he was convicted of grand theft, and he was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in 2015 and 2019. Valdez-Galloso was last released from prison in September 2020 and faced a grand theft charge in Miami-Dade County in 2021.
As a convicted felon, Valdez-Galloso resided in Hialeah as a registered sex offender. His last known address was a coral-colored house at the intersection of Southeast 5th Street and 5th Avenue.
Investigation and Capture
Miami Police Chief Manuel A. Morales confirmed in a recent press conference that Valdez-Galloso was the perpetrator of El Taiger's murder, asserting that no other individuals were involved. "Damian was the shooter, he's responsible, and there are no other parties involved," Morales emphasized.
Although not all details of how Valdez-Galloso was located in New York have been disclosed, Miami police sent officers to the city, leading to his arrest in Queens. Additionally, close sources indicated the existence of surveillance footage capturing the moment El Taiger was shot and subsequently placed in a car. This video has yet to be released by law enforcement.