Former Mexican drug lord gets life in U.S. prison
Court Alerts
[##_1L|1386641998.jpg|width="120" height="101" alt=""|_##]Francisco Javier Arellano-Felix, the youngest of four brothers who ran one of the most powerful Mexican drug cartels, was sentenced to life in prison on Monday, the U.S. Department of Justice said. Arellano-Felix, who pleaded guilty in September to operating a criminal enterprise and conspiring to launder money, was also ordered by a U.S. judge to forfeit $50 million and his interest in a yacht, the department said in a statement.
"I would like to ask forgiveness from my mother, my wife and my children for having to leave them alone as I serve a life sentence," Arellano-Felix said at a sentencing hearing in U.S. District Court in San Diego.
"Most importantly, I would like to ask forgiveness from all those people, on both sides of the border, who I have affected by my wrongful decisions and criminal conduct," he said.
In pleading guilty, Arellano-Felix, 37, admitted directing the Arellano-Felix drug cartel, which controlled much of the narcotics trade across the U.S.-Mexico border over the past decade, acting Deputy Attorney General Craig Morford said.
He also admitted committing and ordering murders in connection with the cartel's illicit business, Morford said.
"Francisco Javier Arellano-Felix will spend the rest of his life in prison for leading a violent Mexican drug cartel that was responsible for trafficking hundreds of tons of cocaine and marijuana and committing countless acts of violence and corruption," Morford said.
Arellano-Felix was arrested along with Manuel Arturo Villarreal-Heredia, 31 in August while deep-sea fishing 15 miles off the coast of La Paz, Mexico, on their yacht, the Dock Holiday.
Villarreal-Heredia also pleaded guilty and is scheduled for sentencing in January.
Related listings
-
Supreme Court to Hear Idaho Death Case
Court Alerts 11/05/2007[##_1L|1232377983.jpg|width="104" height="138" alt=""|_##]The Supreme Court stepped into a death penalty case Monday in which a defendant says his lawyers gave him bad advice by telling him to reject a plea deal that would have spared him a death sen...
-
Court overturns ban on Ind. House prayer
Court Alerts 10/31/2007[##_1L|1201880310.jpg|width="130" height="90" alt=""|_##]Sectarian prayers, including those to Jesus Christ, could return to the front of the Indiana House chamber after a court ruling Tuesday, but opponents warned of a legal challenge if that happen...
-
Mokbel's brother guilty of drug trafficking
Court Alerts 10/28/2007A brother of fugitive drug lord Tony Mokbel has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking at Melbourne County Court.Kabalan Mokbel, 45, was arrested in Melbourne on April 11, 2003, after detectives from the Victoria police Purana task force found a stash of...
New Rochelle, New York Personal Injury Lawyers
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, contact Kommer, Bave & Ollman, LLP, in New Rochelle, New York, immediately. We can answer all your questions and work with you to determine if you have the grounds for a personal injury lawsuit. The attorneys at our firm are determined to resolve even the most difficult of cases. We will work closely with you to determine the best course of action to get your claim or case resolved in the most efficient way possible. We will fight for your right to compensation! No one should have to suffer a financial burden from the result of another person’s carelessness. The attorneys at Kommer, Bave & Ollman, LLP will aggressively fight to ensure that justice is served on your behalf.