The
U.S. Justice Department released the below:
A Mexican
national will have his initial appearance in federal court in the District of
Columbia later today on charges related to his alleged involvement in a
criminal conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine.
Assistant Attorney
General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and
Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon of the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA), made the announcement.
Gerardo Gonzalez
Valencia, aka “Lalo,” 43, arrived at Dulles International Airport
yesterday evening after being extradited from Uruguay, where he was
arrested in April 2016. The indictment charges Gonzalez Valencia with an
international conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine, intending
and knowing that those substances would be unlawfully imported into the United
States. The indictment alleges that Gonzalez Valencia’s criminal
conspiracy ran from 2003 to 2016.
“The Department of
Justice will never waver in our commitment to disrupt and dismantle CJNG and
its enablers, wherever they are found,” said Assistant Attorney General
Benczkowski. “Thanks to the dedicated efforts of our law enforcement
partners in Uruguay, Valencia Gonzalez now will be held to account in the
United States for his alleged crimes.”
“Today’s extradition
and arrest of Mr. Gonzalez-Valencia deals another blow to the leadership of the
Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion,” said DEA Acting Administrator Dhillon.
“Mr. Gonzalez-Valencia is alleged to have distributed significant quantities of
cocaine and meth and will now face justice in the United States. We are
grateful for the outstanding partnership with the National Police and
Government of Uruguay during this long term investigation.”
The charges contained
in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed
innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was
investigated by DEA Los Angeles. Trial Attorneys Brett Reynolds, Kaitlin
Sahni, Cole Radovich, Kate Naseef and Acting Deputy Chief Anthony Nardozzi of
the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting the
case.
The Justice Department
extends its gratitude to the government of Uruguay for making the extradition
possible and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS)
for its support. The Criminal Division’s Office of Enforcement Operations
provided assistance in support of this investigation and the Criminal
Division’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in
securing the defendant’s extradition from Uruguay.
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