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Guatemalan presidential candidate arrested in Miami in drug-trafficking plot
Source: Reuters
WORLD NEWS APRIL 17, 2019 / 8:08 PM / UPDATED AN HOUR AGO
Guatemalan presidential candidate arrested in Miami in drug-trafficking plot
Sofia Menchu
3 MIN READ
GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - A Guatemalan presidential candidate was arrested in Miami on Wednesday and charged with an elaborate plot to use drug cartel money to win the election and assassinate rivals, according to U.S. officials, two months before voters head to the polls.
Mario Estrada, candidate of the center-right National Change Union, who is polling far behind other rivals, is accused along with another man, Juan Pablo Gonzalez, of seeking between $10 and $12 million from Mexico’s powerful Sinaloa Cartel to fund his campaign and transport cocaine into the United States.
“Estrada and Gonzalez conspired to solicit Sinaloa Cartel money to finance a corrupt scheme to elect Estrada president of Guatemala,” Geoffrey Berman, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement.
According to the statement, the two men pledged that if Estrada won the June 16 election, he would help the cartel transport drugs from Guatemalan airports and ports with the aid of complicit security officials.
-snip-
Guatemalan presidential candidate arrested in Miami in drug-trafficking plot
Sofia Menchu
3 MIN READ
GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - A Guatemalan presidential candidate was arrested in Miami on Wednesday and charged with an elaborate plot to use drug cartel money to win the election and assassinate rivals, according to U.S. officials, two months before voters head to the polls.
Mario Estrada, candidate of the center-right National Change Union, who is polling far behind other rivals, is accused along with another man, Juan Pablo Gonzalez, of seeking between $10 and $12 million from Mexico’s powerful Sinaloa Cartel to fund his campaign and transport cocaine into the United States.
“Estrada and Gonzalez conspired to solicit Sinaloa Cartel money to finance a corrupt scheme to elect Estrada president of Guatemala,” Geoffrey Berman, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement.
According to the statement, the two men pledged that if Estrada won the June 16 election, he would help the cartel transport drugs from Guatemalan airports and ports with the aid of complicit security officials.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-guatemala-politics/guatemalan-presidential-candidate-arrested-in-miami-in-drug-trafficking-plot-idUSKCN1RU007
______________________________________________________________________
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office - Southern District of New York
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Guatemalan Presidential Candidate Charged With Conspiring To Import Cocaine Into The United States And Related Firearms Offense
Mario Amilcar Estrada Orellana Tried to Solicit Campaign Funding from Drug Cartels in Exchange for Guatemalan Government Support for Cocaine Shipments to the United States
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Adolphus P. Wright, Special Agent in Charge of the Miami Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), announced today that Guatemalan presidential candidate MARIO AMILCAR ESTRADA ORELLANA (“ESTRADA”) and JUAN PABLO GONZALEZ MAYORGA (“GONZALEZ”) have been charged in Manhattan federal court with conspiring to import cocaine into the United States and a related weapons offense of conspiring to use and possess machineguns. ESTRADA and GONZALEZ were arrested earlier today in Miami, Florida, and will appear tomorrow before United States Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman in Miami federal court.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, Estrada and Gonzalez conspired to solicit Sinaloa Cartel money to finance a corrupt scheme to elect Estrada president of Guatemala. In return, the two allegedly promised to assist the cartel in using Guatemalan ports and airports to export tons of cocaine into the U.S. As further alleged, Estrada and Gonzalez attempted to arrange the assassinations of political rivals. Thanks to the DEA, Estrada stands no chance of election in Guatemala, but he and Gonzalez face justice in the United States.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Adolphus P. Wright said: “The DEA Miami Field Division is very happy with the arrests of Mario Estrada Orellana and Juan Gonzalez Mayorga. Today’s action is the direct result of the strong partnership with our Guatemalan counterparts. Together with our international law enforcement partners, we will continue our efforts to keep illegal drug trafficking from corrupting the just political systems of our Central and South American neighbors, as we also endeavor to prevent such activity from harming the United States.”
As alleged in the Complaint unsealed today in federal court:
Since in or about December 2018, the DEA has been investigating several individuals (the “Estrada Conspiracy”) who attempted to solicit funding from international drug cartels to support ESTRADA’s presidential campaign (the “Estrada Campaign”). During certain of these negotiations, members of the Estrada Conspiracy, including ESTRADA and GONZALEZ, interacted with purported members and associates of the Sinaloa Cartel – a powerful international drug-trafficking organization based in Mexico – who were, in fact, confidential sources (the “CSes”) acting at the DEA’s direction.
-snip-
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Guatemalan Presidential Candidate Charged With Conspiring To Import Cocaine Into The United States And Related Firearms Offense
Mario Amilcar Estrada Orellana Tried to Solicit Campaign Funding from Drug Cartels in Exchange for Guatemalan Government Support for Cocaine Shipments to the United States
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Adolphus P. Wright, Special Agent in Charge of the Miami Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), announced today that Guatemalan presidential candidate MARIO AMILCAR ESTRADA ORELLANA (“ESTRADA”) and JUAN PABLO GONZALEZ MAYORGA (“GONZALEZ”) have been charged in Manhattan federal court with conspiring to import cocaine into the United States and a related weapons offense of conspiring to use and possess machineguns. ESTRADA and GONZALEZ were arrested earlier today in Miami, Florida, and will appear tomorrow before United States Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman in Miami federal court.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, Estrada and Gonzalez conspired to solicit Sinaloa Cartel money to finance a corrupt scheme to elect Estrada president of Guatemala. In return, the two allegedly promised to assist the cartel in using Guatemalan ports and airports to export tons of cocaine into the U.S. As further alleged, Estrada and Gonzalez attempted to arrange the assassinations of political rivals. Thanks to the DEA, Estrada stands no chance of election in Guatemala, but he and Gonzalez face justice in the United States.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Adolphus P. Wright said: “The DEA Miami Field Division is very happy with the arrests of Mario Estrada Orellana and Juan Gonzalez Mayorga. Today’s action is the direct result of the strong partnership with our Guatemalan counterparts. Together with our international law enforcement partners, we will continue our efforts to keep illegal drug trafficking from corrupting the just political systems of our Central and South American neighbors, as we also endeavor to prevent such activity from harming the United States.”
As alleged in the Complaint unsealed today in federal court:
Since in or about December 2018, the DEA has been investigating several individuals (the “Estrada Conspiracy”) who attempted to solicit funding from international drug cartels to support ESTRADA’s presidential campaign (the “Estrada Campaign”). During certain of these negotiations, members of the Estrada Conspiracy, including ESTRADA and GONZALEZ, interacted with purported members and associates of the Sinaloa Cartel – a powerful international drug-trafficking organization based in Mexico – who were, in fact, confidential sources (the “CSes”) acting at the DEA’s direction.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/guatemalan-presidential-candidate-charged-conspiring-import-cocaine-united-states-and