Saturday, August 29, 2015

Slow Saturday Special: El Chapo’s Cousin

See: Mexican Drug Lord Spotted in Dallas

They found this guy in New Hampshire!

"Cousin of drug kingpin sentenced to 16 years in prison" Associated Press  August 29, 2015

CONCORD, N.H. — A cousin of one of the world’s most notorious drug lords who prosecutors say was working to distribute cocaine in the United States has been sentenced in a New Hampshire court to 16 years in federal prison.

Manuel Jesus Gutierrez-Guzman, 54, cousin of Joaquin ‘‘El Chapo’’ Guzman — who led the Sinaloa drug cartel and escaped from a maximum security prison in Mexico in July — was sentenced Friday. He pleaded guilty in October to his role in a conspiracy to expand the reach of his cousin’s drug empire into New England by distributing 1,000 or more kilograms of cocaine and other drugs.

He was arrested in Spain in 2012.

Authorities said the investigation began in 2009 when a link to the cartel was discovered in Massachusetts. Undercover FBI agents posed as members of a European drug-trafficking organization and met with Gutierrez-Guzman and others in Spain, Mexico, and the United States, including in Portsmouth and New Castle, N.H.

During the meetings, Gutierrez-Guzman said he was a direct representative of his cousin and boasted that European distribution routes would initially involve shipments of 20 tons of cocaine at a time, according to prosecutors.

In July 2011, the cartel sent test shipments of pineapples and plantains from South America to Spain, then followed up with 750 pounds of cocaine, which was intercepted by police, investigators said.

‘‘This case illustrates that drug cartels based in foreign countries will go anywhere to distribute their deadly products,’’ said Acting US Attorney Donald Feith. ‘‘Mr. Gutierrez-Guzman served as a representative of one of the world’s wealthiest and deadliest drug organizations.’’

Any relation to neo-con Doug Feith, Pentagon pusher of lies back in the day?

(Btw, it's the wealthiest and deadliest cartel because the U.S. was not only arming them with Fast and Furious and such things, but was helping them facilitate movement and launder money -- while taking their cut, of course)

Gutierrez-Guzman also was fined $10,000. Feith said he will be deported to Mexico upon his release.

Joaquin Guzman escaped from prison by going through a tunnel that led from his shower. After his first escape, in 2001, he ran his enterprise from a series of hideouts and safe houses across Mexico, earning billions of dollars moving tons of cocaine and other drugs to the United States, prosecutors have said.

--more--"

Still haven't found El Chapo, have they?

UPDATE: Mexican fugitive sought in mountains