SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A senator from Sinaloa, Mexico who was indicted last
month in New York on weapons and drug trafficking charges involving a
cartel was reportedly arrested in San Diego this weekend by the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Administration.
Enrique Inzunza Cazarez, 53, who is also the former Sinaloa secretary general, could face a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted. He was indicted on charges including narcotics importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.
Nine other defendants, including the governor of Sinaloa, were also indicted. Inzunza Cazarez's arrest was reported by the California Post, which cited ``multiple Mexican news outlets'' that reported Saturday that he turned himself in. Phone and email messages left by City News Service at DEA Headquarters and the DEA San Diego Field Office were not immediately answered Sunday.
``The Sinaloa Cartel is a ruthless criminal organization that has flooded this community with dangerous drugs for decades,'' U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton said in a statement released April 29 after the indictment was unsealed.
``As the indictment lays bare, the Sinaloa Cartel, and other drug trafficking organizations like it, would not operate as freely or successfully without corrupt politicians and law enforcement officials on their payroll. ``The support of corrupt foreign officials for the deadly trafficking of drugs must end,'' Clayton continued. ``Let these charges send a clear message to all officials around the globe who work with narco-traffickers: No matter your title or position, we are committed to bringing you to justice.''
U.S. DEA Administrator Terrence Cole also issued a statement after the indictment was unsealed.
``The Sinaloa Cartel is not just trafficking deadly drugs, it is a designated terrorist organization that relies on corruption and bribery to drive violence and profit,'' Cole said. ``This indictment exposes a deliberate effort to undermine public institutions and put American lives at risk. The defendants allegedly used positions of trust to protect cartel operations,
enabling a pipeline of deadly drugs into our country."
``No one is above the law. We are grateful for our U.S. and Mexican partners who choose integrity every day and stand with us to safeguard our communities,'' Cole said. ``Together, we will continue to apply sustained pressure against the Sinaloa Cartel and the networks that support it to protect the American people and save lives.''
Inzunza Cazarez was among 10 current and former Sinaloa officials indicted in New York on April 29. He is accused of meeting with cartel figures and arranging for the government to protect the cartel in exchange for political favors.
U.S. officials say the Sinaloa Cartel is one of the most violent criminal organizations in the world and has transformed the Mexican state into the geographic epicenter of the global narcotics trade.
In addition to alleged drug trafficking, the cartel has also allegedly carried out rampant violence, including thousands of murders, throughout Mexico and elsewhere around the world, including in the United States, a DEA statement said.
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