The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York has confirmed that Mexican cartel leader Servando Gomez-Martinez, known as "La Tuta," faces charges of conspiring to import narcotics into the United States, as detailed in an indictment unsealed yesterday. Gomez-Martinez, who reportedly oversaw the operations of the violent La Familia Michoacana drug cartel, was extradited to the U.S. after being in Mexican custody and will soon appear in court to answer to the charges laid out against him. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton lauded the coordinated effort of law enforcement agencies that culminated in the successful capture and extradition of Gomez-Martinez, highlighting the defendant's alleged role in importing significant quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine into the U.S.
In a statement obtained by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Clayton described Gomez-Martinez as someone who "was a leader, enforcer, drug trafficker, weapons supplier, and public spokesman for the violent drug trafficking organization, La Familia Michoacana," the organization that has engaged in violent activities to sustain its drug trafficking operations; these activities include assaults, murders, and kidnappings, primarily targeted against Mexican law enforcement officials who opposed the cartel's actions. Frank A. Tarentino of the DEA commented on the significance of this arrest, emphasizing the defendant's alleged history of fueling drug trade that wrought havoc on communities throughout the United States and the continued commitment of the DEA to apprehend cartel leaders.
Gomez-Martinez has been characterized by the U.S. Attorney's Office as the operational chief of La Familia Michoacana, which controlled the production and distribution of drugs and managed a critical port used for shipping narcotics to the U.S. Moreover, according to the indictment, the cartel allegedly restricted methamphetamine sale and usage within its own territory in Mexico, designating it exclusively for U.S. export. Gomez-Martinez's own words from a past statement to a local TV station were used to illuminate his complicity, wherein he admitted to his role within the cartel and its adversarial stance against Mexican federal authorities.
The case of Gomez-Martinez, who is now 59, will be handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel G. Nessim, Henry L. Ross, and Kyle A. Wirshba are leading the prosecution. While the indictment charges him with conspiring to import cocaine and methamphetamine, a crime that could carry a life sentence, it is important to note, as the court documents state, that any sentencing will ultimately be determined by the presiding judge, also Gomez-Martinez should be presumed innocent until proven guilty despite the weight of the allegations.
