Son of Gulf Cartel Boss Osiel Cardenas Guillen Pleads Guilty to Gun Smuggling Charges

The son of the Gulf Cartel boss Osiel Cardenas Guillen has pleaded guilty to gun smuggling charges.

According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Osiel Cardenas Jr., 30, was arrested by undercover federal agents in the parking lot of a store in Brownsville, Texas on April 22, 2021.

The release noted that the son of the Gulf Cartel boss ordered another person to cross into Mexico to pick up the $15,000 for the weapons and to inform him when the transaction was complete.

According to Border Report, Cardenas Jr. and two accomplices attempted to purchase five Bushmaster XM15-E2S rifles and five Zastava M90 rifles at the time.

Cardenas was reportedly indicted with Azhuan Martinez and Jose Roberto Molina-Medrano, who was in the country illegally and previously convicted of illegal reentry.

The son of the Gulf Cartel boss also faces charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Osiel Cardenas Jr. Cardenas Jr. reportedly admitted that he committed the crime while on supervised release for a previous felony.

Borderland Beat reported that U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. will sentence him on November 8. The son of the Gulf Cartel boss faces up to 10 years in prison with a maximum fine of $250,000.

Gulf Cartel Boss' El Gordo' Arrested, Extradited From Mexico to the U.S.

Last May, the uncle of Osiel Cardenas Jr., Mario Cardenas Guillen, also known as "El Gordo" or "El M-1," was extradited from Mexico to the U.S. to stand trial in a Texas court.

The former leader of the Gulf Cartel is facing drug trafficking charges in Texas. According to reports, he was previously responsible for the large-scale importation of cocaine into Houston, Texas.

El Gordo previously controlled the Gulf Cartel with Eduardo Costilla, also known as "El Cos," who was arrested in 2012 and extradited to the U.S. in 2015.

El Gordo has reportedly run the cartel since his brother, former leader Antonio Cardenas Guillen or "Tony Tormenta," was killed in a gunfight with the Mexican government in 2010.

Mario Cardenas Guillen is also the brother of Osiel Cardenas Guillen, a co-leader of the Gulf Cartel who was arrested in 2003 and extradited to the U.S. in 2007.

Osiel Cardenas Guillen was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison and ordered to pay $50 million to the United States.

According to reports, El Gordo was initially arrested and convicted on organized crime charges in 1995. He was imprisoned in Matamoros city, across the U.S.-Mexico border from Brownsville, Texas, where he was caught organizing large shipments of cocaine and marijuana from behind bars.

El Gordo was then reassigned to a prison in Jalisco state and was released in 2007 after he finished his sentence. He reportedly rejoined the Gulf Cartel after his release. Because of this, the DEA has maintained him on its fugitive list for violations of federal law on conspiracy charges.

El Gordo was arrested a second time in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas in 2012. He was reportedly caught with weapons, ammunition, and four small envelopes containing cocaine.

El Gordo, who was incarcerated at the Altiplano maximum-security federal prison in Mexico State, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in April last year.

The Gulf Cartel

The Gulf Cartel is considered to be one of the oldest and most powerful criminal groups in Mexico. However, the group has lost territory and influence over the years due to its rivals. Its rivals include its former enforcer wing, the Zetas, Insight Crime reported.

During its most powerful term, the drug cartel was led by its kingpin Osiel Cardenas Guillen, who was considered to be the country's most powerful leader. The cartel was reportedly pulling in billions in revenues at the time.

Today, alliances with smaller splinter cells have allowed the Gulf Cartel to retain a significant place in the organized crime world in Mexico.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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