Mexico City, Mexico — Elements of the Federal Police in Mexico City have extradited Luis Arellano Romero back to the United States on drug and criminal gang related charges.
Police say Luis Arellano Romero was extradited to the United States where he will face federal charges of organized crime in the Western District of Texas. Arellano has been credited with being one of the main operational leaders of the Cartel of Sinaloa and close collaborator to both Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán Loera and Ismael El Mayo Zambada.
Arrelano is one of the most wanted fugitives by the DEA.
According to the police investigation, Arellano Romero was part of the criminal organization known as the Cartel of Sinaloa and was responsible for coordinating the importation and distribution of large quantities of cocaine and marijuana in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico to El Paso, Texas as well as the trafficking of firearms and coordinating with criminal cells for money laundering of the profits obtained from their criminal activity.
Arrelano will face charges of criminal association, organized crime, drugs, money laundering and possession of weapons, among others. He was handed over to U.S. authorities at the International Airport of the City of Toluca, State of Mexico to agents of the US Marshals Service who have transferred him back to the United States.
He was number 17 on the most sought after list by U.S. authorities. In 2012, a grand jury found him guilty on 14 charges for ties to the Sinaloa Cartel, including distributing marijuana and cocaine, conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to possess firearms and murder.