'El Chelelo', leader of Los Zetas, sentenced to more than 30 years in prison for 'manufacturing and distributing large quantities of cocaine'
The DOJ noted that the criminal applied "extreme violence" in each and every one of his criminal actions to work his way up the cartel's ranks.
'El Chelelo', during an arrest in Mexico in 2007. File image
The Department of Justice (DOJ) reported that Eleazar Medina-Rojas, also known as El Chelelo and a high-ranking member of Los Zetas, was sentenced to more than three decades in prison for "manufacturing and distributing large quantities of cocaine and marijuana."
Through a release, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti, of the DOJ's Criminal Division, stated that El Chelelo was gaining weight within the Los Zetas cartel thanks to the "extreme violence" he applied in each and every one of the criminal actions he perpetrated, mainly related to drug trafficking.
"Eleazar Medina-Rojas used extreme violence to rise through the ranks of Los Zetas, and, as a plaza boss, ensured that the cartel maintained control over key drug trafficking routes used to direct cocaine and marijuana into the United States, devastating our communities," Galeotti noted.
In addition to the prison sentence, El Chelelo will have to pay a $26.5 million fine.
Authorities explained that Medina-Rojas "controlled the routes leading to Brownsville, Laredo, and McAllen [Texas locations], eliminating anyone who stood in the way of his profit."
In March, El Chelelo pleaded guilty to "conspiring to manufacture and distribute large quantities of cocaine and marijuana."
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