Mexican drug trafficker is extradited from Uruguay to the United States

Gerardo González Valencia

, a high-ranking member of Los Cuinis Cartel , appeared before a federal U.S. court on May 15 on charges related to his involvement in a criminal conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine .

Gerardo González Valencia,

aka “Lalo,” arrived at Dulles International Airport in Virginia on May 14 after being extradited from Uruguay , where he was arrested in April 2016. The indictment charges González 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 also alleges that González 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 González now will be held to account in the United States for his alleged crimes .”

“Today’s extradition and arrest of Mr. González-Valencia deals another blow to the leadership of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generació n,” said DEA Acting Administrator Dhillon . “Mr. González-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.”

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The case was investigated by DEA Los Angeles.

The U.S. Justice Department thanked Uruguay for its collaboration.

According to a police report, González Valencia had over USD 3 million worth of properties in Uruguay, where he was charged with money laundering in 2017.

According to a U.S. report, Los Cuinis “In April 2015, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Contr ol (OFAC) named both CJNG and Los Cuinis as Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act.” The report adds that “Los Cuinis DTO has become “one of the most powerful and violent drug cartels in Mexico.” "

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