Independent Drug Lord 'El Tío' Sentenced to 22 Years in US Prison, Ordered to Forfeit $280M

"Morogris" for Borderland Beat

Raul Flores Hernandez (El Tío) was sentenced to 262 months (21.8 years) in prison 

A U.S. federal judge has imposed a 22-year sentence on Raúl Flores Hernández, commonly known as "El Tío" (The Uncle), an independent drug kingpin who had strategic alliances across various drug cartels. Additionally, he has been instructed to forfeit $280 million in drug proceeds.

At 74 years old, this sentence essentially translates to a life sentence for El Tío.

U.S. authorities say that El Tio was a long-time international drug kingpin. Although he operated independently, El Tio maintained ties with multiple drug cartels in Mexico since the 1980s. He reportedly had drug and money laundering ties with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), Sinaloa Cartel, Gulf Cartel, and the Beltran Leyva Organization (BLO).

His criminal network was mostly based in Guadalajara and Mexico City, and included a vast web of family members and trusted associates. El Tio is also accused of negotiating and trafficking large amounts of cocaine with various Mexican criminal groups, in addition to working with Colombian drug suppliers and controlling shipping routes from Mexico to the United States.

"[El Tio] has operated for decades because of his longstanding relationships with other drug cartels and his use of financial front persons to mask his investments of illegal drug proceeds," said OFAC Director John E. Smith in 2017.

Case details

Even after admitting guilt, El Tio consistently contested numerous allegations made by the government. This disagreement resulted in a divided sentencing hearing that spanned three days in September.

Recently, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell, considering evidence presented during the hearing and written arguments from both prosecutors and El Tio's defense, handed down a sentence of 21 years and 10 months in prison. Additionally, El Tio was ordered to forfeit $280 million in drug proceeds.

According to prosecutors, the testimony of four witnesses in the initial sentencing hearing provided evidence that implicated El Tio in the trafficking of approximately 247,909 pounds of cocaine from South America to Mexico, utilizing oil tanks. Prosecutors asserted that around half of this quantity was under El Tio's personal ownership, while the remaining half belonged to his associates.

Using a conservative estimate, prosecutors calculated that, excluding the value of seized drug shipments and considering the lower end of the estimated price per kilogram of cocaine, El Tio individually accrued a minimum of $680 million in drug proceeds over four distinct periods spanning from 1983 to 2008.

According to prosecutors, El Tio entered the world of cocaine trafficking through connections with Sinaloa cartel kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, an infamous figure in Mexico's drug history, and Héctor Beltrán Leyva, a prominent leader in the Sinaloa cartel until a violent feud resulted in a split in 2008.

Despite engaging in substantial drug trafficking operations and collaborating with notorious kingpins, El Tio maintained a relatively low profile across most of Mexico, except in Guadalajara. There, he owned multiple businesses and a thriving nightclub, contributing to his recognition in that specific region.

In the sentencing documents, defense attorney Sandi Rhee asserted that El Tio disputes being characterized as a drug kingpin. Rhee emphasized a significant distinction, stating:

"And in sharp contrast to many other drug traffickers ... it is undisputed that Mr. Flores [El Tio] has never engaged in violence."

Money laundering network of El Tio, as shown by the OFAC (image credit: US Treasury)

El Tio and his attorney contended that, unlike many other prominent drug traffickers, El Tio dedicated a significant portion of his time to legitimate businesses. These ventures involved importing generic brand electronics from the U.S. and selling them in Mexico.

However, prosecutors countered this argument, asserting that El Tio collaborated with or worked for violent cartels and their leaders. They claimed he not only led his own extensive trafficking organization but also engaged in bribing public officials. Testimony presented during the September hearing indicated that one official he allegedly bribed in the early 2000s is now a state governor in Mexico.

El Tio and Rhee requested the judge to discredit the testimony of at least one witness, Elpidio Mojarro Ramirez, a former high-level operative in the drug world. They argued that recorded jail phone calls revealed Ramirez asking family members and friends to gather details about El Tio from news reports.

As reported by Mexican news outlets, Mojarro, also known as "El Pilo," is recognized as a sworn adversary of Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes, the head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, a prominent and violent drug cartel in Mexico. Mojarro seemingly vanished from the drug world several years ago, and his location remained unknown until the previous summer when he resurfaced in U.S. custody. He subsequently provided testimony against El Tio and another drug trafficker in a separate legal proceeding.

El Tio and his attorney contended that the credibility of cooperating witnesses, Mojarro included, should be questioned, particularly regarding their testimony asserting that El Tiohad been involved in drug trafficking with nearly every Mexican cartel over the past four decades. Despite these arguments, Rhee noted that the judge did not dismiss the testimony of these witnesses during Flores' sentencing.

As per prosecutors, after El Tio's sentencing in the District of Columbia, his two San Diego indictments are set to be dismissed. Although the local indictments have been kept under seal, a co-defendant named Victor "Chi Chi" Hugo Anez Vaca Diez, an alleged Bolivian trafficker, was extradited to San Diego from Argentina last year.

The unsealed indictment against Anez Vaca suggests the involvement of approximately 12 or more defendants in the case, facing charges related to drug trafficking and money laundering offenses across Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Mexico, and Peru.

Sources: DOJ; San Diego Tribune; Borderland Beat archives

Note: Case Number 17-CR-51 (BAH) (District of D.C.)