Bad News for Los Chapitos? Sinaloa boss sentenced to 28 years for drug trafficking

Miguel Baez Guevara Sentenced

Sinaloa Cartel Boss Faces Trial in Alaska

Guevara Pleads Guilty

Another blow for the Sinaloa Cartel! Last Friday, a federal court sentenced Miguel Baez Guevara, known as «El Javi,» to 28 years in prison for his role in trafficking heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine to Alaska.

This case highlights the growing interest of drug cartels in the state of Alaska, a remote region that represents a lucrative opportunity for narcotics trafficking.

U.S. authorities finally captured Guevara, who had been evading justice for a decade, after a series of events that brought him back to the United States.

Originally charged in Arizona in 2014, Guevara fled to Mexico after posting a $50,000 bond, USA TODAY revealed.

MIGUEL BAEZ GUEVARA RECEIVES SENTENCE

Miguel Baez Guevara – Photo: Shutterstock

In Mexico, he continued to operate with the Sinaloa Cartel, expanding his operations to send large quantities of drugs north, specifically to Alaska.

In 2021, after a formal indictment in Alaska, Mexican authorities deported him to the United States.

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Guevara’s case reveals how the Sinaloa Cartel, co-founded by Joaquín «El Chapo» Guzmán, has extended its influence to Alaska.

According to prosecutors, Guevara pleaded guilty in January 2024 to charges of continuing criminal enterprise and conspiracy to traffic drugs.

How did their drug trafficking operation work in Alaska?

Court documents indicate that the cartel recruited couriers in Alaska using fake identities on social media and encrypted messaging platforms.

Guevara instructed these couriers on how to smuggle drugs back to Alaska, where they were paid for their transport, and the drugs were then distributed locally.

Alaska’s appeal to drug traffickers is due to its relative lack of competing criminal networks and the potential for much higher profits from drug sales.

James Klugman, head of federal criminal prosecutions at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Alaska, explained that the state’s isolation allows traffickers to charge much higher prices for drugs.

Bad News for ‘Los Chapitos’!

The Department of Justice also highlighted the significance of this case in the ongoing fight against fentanyl trafficking and other drugs.

The cartel has faced increasing scrutiny and numerous legal actions, including the imprisonment of El Chapo in 2019 and the arrest of his son and co-founder in July of this year.

Locally, three individuals involved in the Alaska case have already been sentenced for drug trafficking: Joel Rascone to 120 months, Serena Joseph to 63 months, and Washahiotha Zaragoza to 18 months.

Four other defendants remain at large in Mexico, USA TODAY highlighted. TO VIEW SENTENCE, CLICK HERE.

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