Former Quintana roo governor charged with Drug Trafficking

Mario Villanueva

But in the US courts, Mario Villanueva, the former governor of the state of Quintana Roo was charged for drug trafficking and money laundering earlier today. Villanueva was extradited to the United States over the weekend. According to the Mexican Attorney General, Villanueva quote, “gave orders to allow shipments of cocaine to be unloaded and stored in ranches in Quintana Roo, to be later sent to the neighboring country by land or air,” end quote.  In the New York federal court, today Villanueva pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and the money laundering of nineteen million dollars through accounts at Lehman Brothers. In an arrangement with Villanueva, the Juarez cartel reportedly established operations in Quintana Roo, using speedboats with armed crews that rendezvoused off the Atlantic Coast, laden with cocaine shipments.  The cocaine was later transported to Cancun, Calderitas and Chetumal.   According to a report field in court, Villanueva was paid between four and five hundred thousand dollars for each shipment transported through the state from 1994 through 1999.  State government airplane hangars were used by the drug organization to store the shipments that arrived via plane from Belize, prosecutors said, while drug organization members were given state police identification.  Villanueva was convicted in Mexico of money laundering and sentenced to six years in prison.  He was released in 2007, but was immediately re-arrested for extradition. He was the Quintana Roo governor between 1993 to 1999.