Sinaloa Cartel Ally Sentenced to More Than 20 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

A Sinaloa cartel ally was sentenced on Tuesday to 22 years in prison for her role in an international drug trafficking conspiracy.

In a press release, the U.S. Department of Justice said Luz Irene Fajardo Campos, also known as "La Comadre," "La Madrina" and "La Doña" of Culiacan, Mexico, was involved in the transport into the U.S. of thousands of kilograms of cocaine and dozens of pounds of methamphetamine.

Following a seven-day jury trial in December 2019, the 57-year-old Mexican national was convicted of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.

She was also convicted of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute 500 grams or more methamphetamine in Colombia, Mexico, Honduras, and elsewhere, knowing that these substances would be unlawfully imported into the U.S.

Luz Irene Fajardo Campos allegedly led a drug trafficking organization with her adult children. The said organization reportedly have connections with the Sinaloa cartel.

Operations of the Sinaloa Cartel Ally

Luz Irene Fajardo Campos sourced cocaine from Colombia. She hired pilots and brokered the purchase of jets to fly the cocaine to Central America and Mexico.

Together with her children, the Mexican national has partnered with other traffickers in the Sinaloa cartel for further distribution of the cocaine into the U.S.

Fajardo Campos also managed the importation of precursor chemicals into Mexico, which she processed into methamphetamine at a laboratory outside Hermosillo.

The Mexican national had managed to distribute the illegal drugs in Tucson, Arizona, and Jackson, Mississippi, among other locations. She also paid bribes to law enforcement officials in Mexico and Colombia to transport the illegal drugs.

Luz Irene Fajardo Campos has paid bribes to law enforcement officials in Mexico and Colombia to transport cocaine through an international airport.

The Mexican national also attempted to bribe other public officials to release precursor chemicals seized at Mexico's shipping ports and secure the arrest of rival drug traffickers.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department's Criminal Division said that Fajardo Campos and her organization had transported large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine inside the U.S. and bribed law enforcement officers along the way.

Special Agent in Charge Cheri Oz of the Drug Enforcement Administration's Phoenix Field Division said the Mexican national made millions of dollars by distributing illegal drugs into Americans' communities while fueling violence and crime across the U.S.

Oz said that "today, justice was served" as Luz Irene Fajardo Campos was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release and forfeit $18 million, aside from the prison sentence.

Sinaloa Cartel and Connections

In 2016, another Sinaloa cartel ally was arrested. Hector "El Guero" Palma, a top drug-trafficking accomplice of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the head of the powerful Sinaloa cartel, was arrested in Mexico for his alleged role in two murders.

Authorities rearrested Palma on his repatriation to Mexico. He returned from the United States after completing a prison sentence for distributing cocaine, Reuters reported.

Palma was transferred to the Altiplano maximum-security prison, which was the same prison where El Chapo had managed to escape from before being recaptured.

Palma earned the reputation in the 1980s for trafficking cocaine from Colombia. He was also associated with the late Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.

Sinaloa Cartel

The Sinaloa cartel has earned its reputation as being the largest and most powerful crime organization. According to an InSight Crime report, the state of Sinaloa has always been known for marijuana and poppy cultivation.

Pedro Aviles was the first one to traffic huge amounts of marijuana. He also brought El Chapo into the business. El Chapo was the son of Aviles' friend. Aviles' reign ended when he was killed in a shootout with police in 1978.

El Chapo became the most notable leader of the Sinaloa cartel. He was joined at the top rank by El Mayo and Jose Esparragoza Moreno, also known as "El Azul."

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: On the Front Line With Mexico's Warring Cartels - From Vice News