U.S. unseals indictment against Mexican drug kingpin

May 5, 2000
Web posted at: 9:56 p.m. EDT (0456 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. law enforcement officials Friday unsealed an indictment against a reputed Mexican drug kingpin who was arrested Wednesday following a shootout with authorities.

Ismael Higuera Guerrero, whom U.S. officials identify as the notorious Arellano Felix cartel's second-in-command, faces conspiracy charges for shipping tons of cocaine to the United States.

The cartel is often called the most powerful drug trafficking organization in Mexico. Mexican authorities suspect it in the killings of Tijuana's police chief and three agents from Mexico's attorney general's office, the PGR.

Higuera, the enterprise's reputed chief of executions, smuggling and bribery, was wanted for the 1993 murder of a PGR commander. Mexican authorities seized him after storming a house near the Baja California town of Ensenada under intense fire.

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The United States requested his extradition years ago. If brought to justice in the United States, he faces a possible sentence of up to life in prison and fines of more than 10 million dollars.

DEA, FBI, and other U.S. officials praised the Mexican government for its capture of the reputed drug leader. U.S. Attorney Gregory Vega, the top federal prosecutor in San Diego, called Higuera's arrest "the greatest blow inflicted" on the cartel.

In February, President Ernesto Zedillo declared that authorities would launch a major push to dismantle the cartel.

Errol Chavez, the DEA's San Diego chief, called the arrest "a major attack on the heads of a notorious and ruthless band of drug traffickers."

Reuters contributed to this report.

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