Give Now
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
  • Full Schedule
Watch Live

Border & Immigration

Mexican Drug Cartel Leader Benjamin Arellano-Felix Pleads Guilty

By Katie Orr / Anchor,  Jose Luis Jiménez / Social Media/Web Editor
Published January 4, 2012 at 7:51 AM PST
This story was published more than 12 years ago.
Arellano-Felix Guilty Plea
Arellano-Felix Guilty Plea

Mexican drug cartel kingpin Benjamin Arellano-Felix has pleaded guilty in U.S. federal court in San Diego to racketeering and conspiracy to launder money.

The plea Wednesday avoids the spectacle of a trial for one of the world's most powerful drug lords of the 1990s.

The plea agreement calls for a maximum of 25 years in prison and a $100 million

Advertisement
Become a KPBS sponsor

forfeiture. Arellano-Felix's attorney, Anthony Colombo, said the deal is a good one for his 58-year-old client.

"I do believe that this is a very favorable agreement for Mr. Arellano-Felix and his family," Colombo said. "(It) gives him hope of one day being released from custody and being returned to Mexico."

Arellano-Felix faced up to 140 years in prison if convicted at trial. The defense attorney said the plea also benefited prosecutors by allowing them to avoid a long and costly trial. Sentencing will take place in April.

Arellano-Felix Indictment
Read the original indictment against the Arellano-Felix drug cartel, handed down nearly a decade ago.
Download attachment
To view PDF files, download Acrobat Reader.

Prosecutors declined to comment after the 30-minute hearing.

Benjamin Arellano-Felix was considered the mastermind of the Tijuana-based Arellano-Felix cartel in the 1990s and was extradited to the United States from Mexico in April 2011. At Wednesday's hearing, he admitted through an interpreter to running the cartel for 16 years and ordering the kidnappings and murders of informants and witnesses, among other crimes.

Advertisement
Become a KPBS sponsor

The cartel trafficked in billions of dollars worth of drugs from Mexico and Colombia into the United States.

At one point, the cartel was said to control about one-third of the cocaine traffic into the U.S. The cartel also smuggled tons of marijuana, methamphetamine and heroin to American cities.

U.S. investigators previously said the cartel murdered competitors in the drug trade, as well as police and other government officials who got in the way.

Benjamin Arellano-Felix and his brothers were implicated by authorities in the 1993 assassination of Mexican Cardinal Juan Jesus Posadas Ocampo. The organization spent millions buying protection from Mexican police officers, judges and military personnel, officials say.

At one time, Benjamin Arellano-Felix and his now-deceased brother Ramon, were on most-wanted posters in the U.S. along with Osama Bin Laden.

Corrected: December 14, 2024 at 7:48 PM PST
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Tags

Border & Immigration Law Enforcement
Katie Orr
Having grown up in the San Diego neighborhood of University City, Katie Orr is back in familiar territory as KPBS’ Metro Reporter. She previously worked at WVXU in Cincinnati, Ohio where she served as a reporter and announcer, as well as host of the award winning Cincinnati Edition. She has also reported for WNIN in Evansville, Indiana and for Four Corners Broadcasting in Durango, Colorado. Katie has been recognized by the Indiana and Ohio chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists for her work as well as by the Hearst Journalism Awards and the Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Awards. Katie graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University in 2003.
See stories by Katie Orr
Jose Luis Jiménez
Jose Luis Jiménez joined KPBS in August 2010 as the Social Media/Web Editor for Fronteras: The Changing America Desk. His duties include using social media platforms, like Facebook and Twitter, to distribute print stories, audio tales and videos produced by Fronteras reporters to as wide an audience as possible. He also uses these platforms to identify communities on the Internet to engage in a conversation about what is happening along the U.S.-Mexico border and in the Southwest. The social media platforms are also used to help reporters find sources and ideas for stories. Jose has been a journalist since 1993, starting his career at media outlets in Florida before moving to California in 2000. Prior to joining KPBS, he worked at the San Diego Union-Tribune covering numerous beats, including the border region and Mexico. His last assignment at the Union-Tribune was as an editor for both the daily newspaper and the website. When not working, he volunteers with the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and serves as treasurer for the local chapter of CCNMA: Latino Journalists of California. One of the group’s main projects is to host an annual media workshop that teaches high school students about journalism and encourages them to enter the field. Jose was born and raised on the island of St. Croix in the United States Virgin Islands and graduated from Florida International University with a double major in journalism and political science.
See stories by Jose Luis Jiménez
KPBS News: Public Safety Policy
KPBS has created a public safety coverage policy to guide decisions on what stories we prioritize, as well as whose narratives we need to include to tell complete stories that best serve our audiences. This policy was shaped through months of training with the Poynter Institute and feedback from the community. You can read the full policy here.
Read →
More News