Mexico Extradites Tijuana Drug Cartel Leader To California

Mexico extradites Tijuana drug cartel leader to California < br />

2012-05-25 07:12:55 GMT+7 (ICT)

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (BNO NEWS) -- Mexican authorities on Wednesday extradited drug lord Armando Villareal Heredia to the United States, where he is facing charges relating to organized crime and drug trafficking, the government said on Thursday.

At the time of his arrest, Heredia, who is also known as 'El Gordo' (the fat one) or Gordo Villareal, was identified as the leader of the Tijuana cartel, which was founded by the Arellano Felix brothers. Mexico's Attorney General's Office (PGR) confirmed Heredia's extradition.

Heredia, who was arrested by Mexican security forces in July 2011, will be prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California. He will face federal racketeering (RICO) and drug charges allegedly committed between 2008 and 2010.

The PGR said Heredia was responsible for directing, authorizing and coordinating criminal activity conducted by the Tijuana cartel, including homicides, kidnappings, drug trafficking, arms trafficking and money laundering. He was turned over to FBI agents on Wednesday at Mexico City's International Airport, bringing the number of extraditions during Felipe Calderon's presidential term to 547.

"[The] extradition of Villareal, a top-lieutenant in the FSO (Fernando Sanchez-Arellano Organization) who answered directly to Fernando Sanchez Arellano, highlights our continued successful efforts to work with the Government of Mexico to combat organized criminal activity along the southwest border," said United States Attorney Laura E. Duffy.

So far as a result of the same investigation, 38 other defendants have already entered guilty pleas. In those pleas, the defendants admitted to participating in a violent transnational racketeering enterprise controlled by Fernando Sanchez-Arellano, and to committing murders, kidnappings, robberies, assaults, money laundering and a wide-range of drug trafficking offenses. Four defendants are still at-large.

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