The leader of one of Mexico’s most powerful and violent drug cartels, known as the Scorpions, has been extradited to the United States after nearly a decade on the run.
Juan Manuel Abuzaid El Baye, 52, was handed over to the U.S. Marshals Service on Monday after being arrested in Mexico in 2021. He is charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine.
El Baye, known as “El Escorpión” or “The Scorpion,” was known as a top associate of the prolific Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG).
The CJNG seized power in Mexico’s Jalisco state in 2009, capitalizing on the collapse of the Valencia/Milenio cartel.
Its ruthless leader Rubén Oseguera-Cervantes (also known as “El Mencho”) He is one of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) most wanted fugitives. There is a $10 million bounty on his head.
Oseguera Cervantes Led the CJNG in a bloody turf war It took control of strategic areas of drug distribution, ultimately turning this criminal organization into one of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) five most dangerous transnational cartels.
“The cartels have established themselves all over the world, and not only are they destroying all the drugs in the United States, but they are sending drugs to 30, 40, 50 countries…because the drug market is exploding.” said Derek Maltz, a former DEA official. the director of special operations told the Post.
According to Univision, El Baye was part of a special group within CJNG run by Oseguera Cervantes.
“This guy is another high-ranking confidant of El Mencho and is obviously an important player,” Martz said.
Elbae was indicted In May 2017, the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., indicted him on drug trafficking charges, saying he had been engaged in criminal activity since 2012.
Mexican authorities subsequently blocked El Bahe’s bank accounts in June 2020 due to his role in the cartel. According to the Ministry of Finance.
In March 2021, the Ministry of Finance designated El Baeh as a drug trafficker for “providing material support” to the CJNG.
But Martz said while he was pleased with the extradition, it was unlikely to affect the supply chain of deadly drugs across the U.S. border.
“This is much more than a criminal case against cartel leadership; we are much more than that,” Martz said, explaining that a strong effort is needed to disrupt the cartel’s supply chain.
Another issue is the timing of the arrests, which could be politically motivated, says former Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent shot and killed in the line of duty by members of the Los Zetas cartel. Victor Avila told the Post.
“Although arrests of these high-level cartels are always welcome, the timing of the arrests must be questioned. Mexico has a presidential election this June, and it appears that the fight against these cartels is Remember, it’s always a good thing. This benefits both elections,” Avila said.
Mr. El Baeh is scheduled to make his first court appearance on May 17th in Washington, DC. According to the border report.
