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Border & Immigration

Arellano Felix Drug Cartel Member Pleads Guilty

Arellano Felix Drug Cartel Member Pleads Guilty
A man who helped Tijuana's Arellano-Felix cartel bring in tons of cocaine into the U.S. has pleaded guilty to federal racketeering charges.

A man who helped the Tijuana-based Arellano-Felix drug cartel bring in tons of cocaine into the U.S. pleaded guilty Thursday to federal racketeering charges.

Rigoberto Yanez-Guerrero was extradited from Mexico to the U.S. last December, and faces up to 20 years in prison when he gets sentenced in October.

As a high-ranking member of the Arellano-Felix criminal organization, Yanez-Guerrero acted as a liaison between the cartel and Colombian cocaine traffickers who wanted to import and distribute cocaine throughout the U.S.

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Speaking to a federal judge in San Diego, Yanez-Guerrero said he was personally responsible for shipping five to 10 tons of cocaine.

As far as his boss goes, Benjamin Arellano-Felix is facing federal charges in San Diego, including drug trafficking, money laundering and racketeering.

The Arellano-Felix gang was the top drug trafficking cartel for more than two decades in the Baja region. It was run by four brothers, Benjamin, Eduardo, Javier and Ramon.