José Rodrigo Arechiga-Gamboa, better known by the alias Chino Ántrax or Norberto García appeared Thursday morning in the U.S. Federal Court in San Diego, California. It is the second appearance of the defendant facing proceedings against him for drug trafficking and for belonging to a organized criminal organization. Aréchiga-Gamboa, 34, entered the courtroom of Judge Dana M. Sabraw at 11.15 in the morning, wearing an orange inmate jumpsuit, handcuffed with chains on his hands and feet and escorted by two officers.
On the way to the podium, he smiled at his family, who were sitting in the back of the room and winked one eye to them in greeting. The defendant heard the session through simultaneous translation.
The case against Aréchiga-Gamboa is based on counts of trafficking methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana, according to the indictment. However, he is also the leader of the gang known as the Ántrax. (This is a distinction which allows the US to define him as a kingpin)
Anthrax are sicarios who allegedly operate on the orders of the Sinaloa cartel.
Chino Anthrax, is known for his love of luxury and display of power. Before his arrest, he left a trail of social networks images of European travel, cars, and extravagant poses with weapons.
Chino Ántrax, is represented by attorney Frank Ragen J II, who said in a statement Monday that he had received a computer hard drive of "thousands of documents" with possible relevance to his client’s case and he needed time to study, so he filed for a postponement of the trial until mid-November.
The federal prosecution team was represented by Adam Braveman, who agreed to the postponement. A new preliminary hearing was set for November 21 at 11 am, when San Diego.
Chino Ántrax was arrested last January in the Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, on an international warrant (interpol) issued by the United States. He was extradited last July 10 and the next day his initial appearance. At that hearing the defendant issued a plea of "not guilty".
In the same court continues the case against Serafin Zambada, son of Ismael El Mayo Zambada, leader of the Sinaloa cartel in conjunction with Joaquin El Chapo Guzman.
Guzman was arrested last February.
From US Press:
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The massive volume of evidence was briefly outlined in a hearing last week in the case against Jose Arechiga Gamboa, the reputed Sinaloa enforcer who has risen through the ranks of the cartel.
From US Press:
The secretive cases San Diego federal prosecutors have built against three high-level Sinaloa cartel figures are based on millions of pages of wiretap intercepts and evidence from more than 50 seizures from the U.S., Mexico and across the globe.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s more than two-year investigation into him is tied to the prosecutions of Serafin Zambada, — who is the 24-year-old son of the cartel’s co-leader, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada — and Jorge Aviles Lara, aka “Pistolas.”
Prosecutors said at a hearing earlier this month that plea negotiations are ongoing in both those cases. However, if unsuccessful, the two cases would likely be tried together. Some time from now.
Source: El País/eju TV and big thanks to "C" for the link