‘El Chapo’-linked narcotrafficker sentenced for moving millions of dollars worth of cocaine
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KSWB) — The gig is up for a narcotrafficker who moved hundreds of millions of dollars worth of cocaine into the U.S. for more than three decades.
According to U.S. attorney Tara McGrath’s office, Raul Flores Hernandez, 74, was sentenced in federal court Friday. He received a hefty 262 month prison sentence, while also being ordered to forfeit $280 million in drug proceeds.
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According to court documents, Flores Hernandez was a leader of a prolific drug trafficking organization that worked closely with Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman of the Sinaloa Cartel and Hector Beltran of the Beltran Leyva Organization.
As explained by the attorney’s office, Flores Hernandez utilized his connections with suppliers in South America and corrupt government employees to transport hundreds of millions of dollars worth of cocaine into Mexico for importation into the U.S.
“It may be impossible to quantify the destruction wrought by this defendant channeling vast quantities of cocaine across the globe,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “One thing is certain –the world is far safer with this sentence.”
This prosecution was a joint effort between the Southern District of California, the Department of Justice Criminal Division Narcotics, and Dangerous Drugs Section.
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