Juan
Jose Alvarez-Tostado Galvan, also known as “El Compadre,” admitted that in his
role as a financial manager in the Juarez cartel, he collected at least $24
million in narcotics proceeds in Chicago, prosecutors said.
A former money manager of the Juarez drug cartel was sentenced Thursday in Los Angeles to 18 years behind bars stemming from his role in Operation Casablanca, once billed as the largest drug money-laundering investigation in U.S. history.
Jose "El Compadre" Alvarez-Tostado, 63, pleaded guilty in January to a single federal count of conspiracy to aid in the distribution of cocaine.
U.S. District Judge George Wu agreed to recommend to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons that Alvarez be given credit for the 12 years and eight months he has already served while the case was pending.
Alvarez -- the lead defendant in a 35-person indictment filed two decades ago in Los Angeles federal court -- managed the collection, laundering and distribution of at least $24 million and more than a ton of cocaine, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. As part of a 1990s sting operation, undercover agents set up shop in a Santa Fe Springs warehouse and posed as money launderers to collect evidence.
Speaking through an interpreter, Alvarez offered apologies to "the American population... for the harm I caused consciously on unconsciously to the citizens."
Alvarez's attorney, Anthony Solis, said after the hearing that his client was sincere.
"He's had a lot of time to reflect on his actions," Solis said.
"He's lost a lot of his life in custody and I believe he does regret the harm he caused."
Alvarez collected more than $40 million from narcotics sales in the United States and transferred the money into Mexican bank accounts on behalf of Amado Carrillo Fuentes, the reputed chief of the Juarez cartel until his death in 1997 during plastic surgery, according to the 1998 indictment.
Alvarez had been on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's most- wanted list until he was arrested by Mexican authorities in 2005 and subsequently extradited to Los Angeles last year.
Launched in 1995, Operation Casablanca linked some Mexican banks and banking officials with the laundering of cartel drug profits. The three-year Los Angeles-based probe resulted in more than 100 arrests and seizures of $50 million dollars in illegal proceeds from drug money laundering and more than two tons of cocaine and four tons of marijuana.
A former money manager of the Juarez drug cartel was sentenced Thursday in Los Angeles to 18 years behind bars stemming from his role in Operation Casablanca, once billed as the largest drug money-laundering investigation in U.S. history.
Jose "El Compadre" Alvarez-Tostado, 63, pleaded guilty in January to a single federal count of conspiracy to aid in the distribution of cocaine.
U.S. District Judge George Wu agreed to recommend to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons that Alvarez be given credit for the 12 years and eight months he has already served while the case was pending.
Alvarez -- the lead defendant in a 35-person indictment filed two decades ago in Los Angeles federal court -- managed the collection, laundering and distribution of at least $24 million and more than a ton of cocaine, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. As part of a 1990s sting operation, undercover agents set up shop in a Santa Fe Springs warehouse and posed as money launderers to collect evidence.
Speaking through an interpreter, Alvarez offered apologies to "the American population... for the harm I caused consciously on unconsciously to the citizens."
Alvarez's attorney, Anthony Solis, said after the hearing that his client was sincere.
"He's had a lot of time to reflect on his actions," Solis said.
"He's lost a lot of his life in custody and I believe he does regret the harm he caused."
Alvarez collected more than $40 million from narcotics sales in the United States and transferred the money into Mexican bank accounts on behalf of Amado Carrillo Fuentes, the reputed chief of the Juarez cartel until his death in 1997 during plastic surgery, according to the 1998 indictment.
Alvarez had been on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's most- wanted list until he was arrested by Mexican authorities in 2005 and subsequently extradited to Los Angeles last year.
Launched in 1995, Operation Casablanca linked some Mexican banks and banking officials with the laundering of cartel drug profits. The three-year Los Angeles-based probe resulted in more than 100 arrests and seizures of $50 million dollars in illegal proceeds from drug money laundering and more than two tons of cocaine and four tons of marijuana.
Any report on those financial institutions who aided and abetted this organization? Or can we (the people) assume nothing came from it?
ReplyDeleteFrom my understanding of the law is; a finincial system cannot be prosecuted with jail time. Only fined.
A tactic widely abused by Big Pharmaceutical companies since companies are a people.
Please correct me if wrong.
Banks fined for money laundering is one thing,
Deletebanks fined for laundering drug trafficking money is another.
Investment houses that handle illegal drug Laundered money Donvt seem to be fined at all, like Bain and Co. Or Bain Capital (the one from the Cayman Islands) or the ones from PANAMA PAPERS.
If it helped Mexico, I’d come out of retirement and work for free against the bad guys.
DeleteNcdj is a weak cartel
ReplyDeleteStill doing better than zetas and golfas... according to the DEA only jaliskas and the all mighty CDS are more powerful... even the michoacanos pay them piso
Delete@6:22 Cuauthemoc seperated from linea and linea turned on aztecas so i dont think so
DeleteChihuahua es grande compa
DeleteWho the banks and the banking officials?
ReplyDeleteAmado reportedly stole about 20 000 kilos from Don Castor "el Gordo" Ochoa in Cd Juarez after kidnapping and murdrring him, I suspect those drugs were the property of the Colombian drug traffickers' puppeteers more than the Ochoas; I guess a lot of people got away with murder drug trafficking, and money laundering...
Damn, 20,000 kilos, all profit.
Delete6:12 that is how you buy your airoplanos from AIR AMERICA property of the CIA to be el senor de los CIELOS.
DeleteBut according to Borderland Beat the Ochoas from Colombia that kept working with amado Carrillo fuentes had the chance to pay him back and paid him back, Amado died real young, his money went nobody knows where.
He looks rough.Probably a night of no sleep but I'm sure he is sorry.Sorry he got caught that is.
ReplyDeleteWell he was living in caves, love the American court system, glad he was caught.
DeleteAmerica doesnt F around. Good luck buying your way out of American prisons. Even chapo knew better
ReplyDeleteHe looks like a ymca janitor
ReplyDeleteThere’s some fuzzy math here... if he was arrested in 2005 and been incarcerated since that time that’s 14 years in prison approximately; which would explain why he doesn’t look so good in the photo, which I assume was taken when he was extradited Last year according to the article. So if he got 18 years he would get about three and half years off—20% off is standard in federal crimes, for good behavior cooperation remorse etc... which I’m assuming is why he made the statement of contrition to the judge.
ReplyDeleteIf my math is correct 18 years -3.6 years which would leave about 14 1/2 years. Of the year mind math shows that if he was arrested in 2005 then he should have his sentence complete or almost complete depending on the month when he was actually arrested in 2005
Is cartel de Juarez and nuevo cartel de Juarez the same cartel?
ReplyDeleteNCDJ, cartel de Juarez and la linea is the same thing.
DeleteImagine having this hanging over your head for all these years, crimes you committed in the 90's, shaping your future, and your present. I mean Juarez Cartel in Los Angeles? Truly a different time. He will essentially spend 30 years of his life paying for these crimes.
ReplyDelete7:08 how are you going to sleep while the whole joint is banging yer arse, even if it not the first time.
ReplyDeleteI have no sympathy for people who claim to be remorseful. Alvarez was apologetic in hopes the judge would be lenient at sentencing. Only regret this person has is being caught. And where is all the money he’s hidden? This idiot will no doubt live a nice life in Mexico once he gets deported. No doubt his buddies he snitched on will be waiting with open arms.
ReplyDeleteYour a stupid son of a bitch look at his paper work first before you talk. This man did wrong and he regrets it and Mexico will be with open arms because he ain't a snitch. I bet if you would face a couple of years you would be talking . So do your self a favor and shut up.
DeleteHe looks crudo, too much tequila last night.
ReplyDeleteNo tequila in prison,
Deletemaybe rough handling from the prison warden.
Wait a minute. This guy was locked up for nearly 13 years? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought you couldn't be locked up for more than a year without a trial, otherwise the state MUST release you. 12 years and 8 months? C'mon. This thing smells. Criminal or not.
ReplyDelete