By Steve Neavling
The former leader of the Gulf Cartel in Mexico was extradited to the U.S. to face drug trafficking charges, the Justice Department announced Thursday.
Mario Cardenas-Guillen, 57, a Mexican national, was indicted by a grand jury on charges of conspiracy with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
His first court appearance is scheduled for Monday.
Between 2000 and 2012, Cardenas-Guillen allegedly conspired to possess more than five kilograms of cocaine with the intention of distributing it.
“International sources of illegal drugs continue to poison our communities,” U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston said in a statement. “We will make every effort to combat this scourge, and that includes going to the origin of the drugs in foreign countries and arresting and prosecuting those who seek to make a profit off this blight that adversely affects so many in our society.”
Caredenas-Guillen faces between 10 years and life in prison if convicted.
The DEA investigated the case.
“For decades, the Gulf Cartel has used intimidation and extreme violence to maintain control of its territories in northeast Mexico and smuggle deadly drugs into communities across the United States,” DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said. “The extradition of Mario Cardenas Guillen, the former leader of the Gulf Cartel, should send a clear message to the leaders of drug trafficking organizations around the world that no one is beyond the reach of the DEA and our law enforcement partners.”
