Crime | Edgar Valdez 'Barbie': How a Suburbanite Became a Vicious Killer Brother says drug lord chose a life of crime By Kevin Spak Posted Sep 9, 2010 12:07 PM CDT Copied Edgar Valdez Villarreal, alias "the Barbie," is escorted by police officers in the state of Mexico, Aug. 30, 2010. (AP Photo/Mexico's Public Safety Department) Don’t blame Edgar “Barbie” Valdez’s upbringing for turning him to a life of crime. The linebacker-turned-drug lord came from an affluent Texas suburb, and his father constantly urged him to go to college. Instead, he joined a group of drug smugglers straight out of high school. “He chose that life,” his brother, Abel, tells the New York Times. “We are a good family.” He also says his brother had noble intentions when he joined the drug war. In 1998, he moved to Mexico to avoid arrest in the US, and opened a small shop. Soon afterward, his town was targeted by the Zetas. Valdez objected to the Zetas’ tactic of killing their enemies’ families, so he joined the fight against them. “I’m not saying he’s an angel,” Abel Valdez says. “He’s done things that are not legally right, but he has principles.” Later, of course, he became a vicious enforcer infamous for beheadings. Read These Next Something James Carville said made Melania Trump's lawyer unhappy. Vance's office says it wasn't involved in the river-raising. Ivanka and Jared are making headlines again. Justice Department goes after a prominent Trump foe. Report an error