How the Mexican businessman sentenced to 30 years in prison in the US operated for laundering more than 50 million dollars for drug trafficking

A $1.5 million fine and 30 years in prison. It is the sentence imposed by the federal judge of ChicagoRonald A. Guzmán, against Luis Eduardo González García, an alleged Mexican businessman who for five years dedicated himself to distributing thousands of kilos of cocaine in USA and launder millions of dollars in favor of mexican drug traffickers.

LOOK: The controversial drug trafficking museum that they want to open in the town where El Chapo was born

According to the United States Department of Justice, González had set up a sophisticated network of warehouses and shell companies that served as a front for his illicit businesses.

González was arrested in 2018, in the framework of an operation carried out by the Special Group to Fight Drugs and Organized Crime of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

The defendant had pleaded guilty earlier this year to charges of conspiracy to traffic drugs and money laundering. In this context, he detailed how he carried out his operations.

HOW HIS NETWORK OPERATED

According to González, he began in drug trafficking when his business dedicated to growing tomatoes failed, which led him to have “bad judgment.” This case has represented, in the words of the defendant, a dishonor for his family, including his mother who was mayor of her hometown, located in Monterrey, Nuevo León, reported ABC7 Chicago.

After his failure, González contacted the Sinaloa cartel and other drug trafficking organizations in Mexico offering to transport the drug to Chicago for later distribution locally, a DEA agent said during the trial.

For this, González set up different companies supposedly dedicated to the sale of furniture, snacks, laundry detergent or other items that even had web pages and employees who were not aware of what was happening in the stores, reported Univision.

González’s luxuries included expensive vehicles, gold watches and yachts in tropical areas.

The drugs and the money were hidden in the pallets on board the trucks that operated with these companies, the Department of Justice detailed in its indictment. According to authorities, each load could contain up to 100 kilos of cocaine or $1.5 million in cash.

González operated this network between 2012 and 2017, a period during which he transported thousands of kilos of drugs and laundered more than 50 million dollars.

According to authorities, González earned enough money to lead a life of luxury, which included tropical yachts, gold watches and expensive vehicles. In 2018, he was arrested while trying to board a plane from Chicago to Guatemala.

With his guilty plea, González sought to reduce his sentence to 10 years, something that was denied him by the courts. The man will serve his sentence at the Chicago Metropolitan Correctional Center, where he has been held since his capture awaiting trial.

Source: Elcomercio