A Guatemalan politician who had dreams of becoming his nation’s next president was arrested in Miami for allegedly promising Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel full access to his country’s ports and airports for their drug trafficking in return for them funding his political campaign.
The candidate, Mario Estrada, 58, and an alleged accomplice, Juan Pablo González, 50, were both taken in by law enforcement agents on Wednesday.
Both men were charged with conspiring to import cocaine into the United States and a related weapons offense. If convicted, they could spend up to life in prison.
Estrada and González were scheduled to appear Thursday before a federal magistrate in Miami on charges brought in New York, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said in a release.
‘Estrada and Gonzalez conspired to solicit Sinaloa Cartel money to finance a corrupt scheme to elect Estrada president of Guatemala,’ Berman said.
The Sinaloa Cartel was once headed by Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán before he was extradited to the United States.
Guatemalan presidential candidate Mario Estrada (pictured) was arrested by U.S. authorities in Miami on Wednesday. He was allegedly seeking financial campaign assistance from Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel in exchange for future favors
Juan Pablo González (pictured second from left) joined Guatemalan presidential hopeful Mario Estrada’s political party two years ago and holds the title of deputy secretary.
Mario Estrada founded the National Change Union party. It holds just six seats in the 158-member Congress
‘In return, the two allegedly promised to assist the cartel in using Guatemalan ports and airports to export tons of cocaine into the U.S.’
The presidential hopeful’s apprehension took place a day after a meet-and-greet with future voters in the department of Chiquimula.
Estrada had told his running mate he was traveling to Miami to spend Holy Week and that he would return home Easter Sunday.
The former congressman was far behind in recent presidential polls, with less than 3 percent support in one recent survey.
The National Change Union party, which Estrada founded, holds just six seats in the 158-member Congress, and has typically supported the policies of President Jimmy Morales’ government.
González joined the party two years ago and holds the title of deputy secretary.
Estrada’s running mate, Javier Castillo, was taken aback by Estrada’s arrest.
‘We had no idea something like that was happening. I would never have been involved in something that was unusual,’ he said during a press conference Thursday.
The political party’s Secretary General, Jorge Passarelli, was quick to dismiss any notion that the group was financially backed by drug gangs.
‘The little money we have is the product of political debt, and what some candidates have been able to give,’ Passarelli.
‘Our [financial] books are open.’
Mario Estrada was charged with conspiring to import cocaine into the United States and a related weapons offense. If convicted, he could spend up to life in prison
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York unsealed its indictment and revealed that Guatemalan presidential hopeful Mario Estrada had drafted a list with his accomplice and were willing to pay hit men to carry out the assassinations
The Sinaloa Cartel was once commandeered by Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán (pictured). The criminal organization, co-founded by Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada García (right), was allegedly approached by Guatemalan presidential hopeful Mario Estrada in hopes it would back his campaign
The prosecutor credited the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration with building the case against the men with the aid of confidential sources.
‘As further alleged, Estrada and Gonzalez attempted to arrange the assassinations of political rivals,’ he said.
‘Thanks to the DEA, Estrada stands no chance of election in Guatemala, but he and Gonzalez face justice in the United States.’
According to a criminal complaint unsealed Wednesday, the DEA has been investigating several individuals since December after learning there were efforts to secure financing from international drug cartels to support Estrada’s presidential campaign.
The evidence against the men includes video and audio communications, according to the complaint.
As part of his all out quest to become the Central American nation’s next president, U.S. authorities said Estrada and Gonzalez had crafted an assassination plot with a list of names and agreed to provide hit men with firearms, including AK-47s, to carry out murders.
Mario Estrada campaigned in the department of Chiquimula on Tuesday and later flew to Miami where he was busted by U.S. officials