Mexican Drug Lord Convicted in Alaska!

• Miguel Baez Guevara convicted
• Sinaloa cartel boss faces trial in Alaska
• Guevara pleads guilty

Another blow to the Sinaloa cartel! Last Friday, a federal court sentenced Miguel Baez Guevara, known as “El Javi,” to 28 years in prison for his role in smuggling heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine into Alaska.

The case underscores the growing interest of drug cartels in the state of Alaska, a remote area that offers lucrative opportunities for drug trafficking.

The American authorities finally managed to capture Guevara, who had evaded justice for ten years. After a series of events, he returned to the United States.

Guevara was first charged in Arizona in 2014, but fled to Mexico after posting $50,000 bail, USA TODAY revealed.

MIGUEL BAEZ GUEVARA GETS PENALTY

In Mexico, he continued to work with the Sinaloa Cartel and expanded his operations to ship large quantities of drugs north, particularly to Alaska.

In 2021, after being formally charged in Alaska, he was deported to the United States by Mexican authorities.

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Guevara’s case shows how the Sinaloa Cartel, co-founded by Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, has expanded its influence into Alaska.

According to prosecutors, Guevara pleaded guilty in January 2024 to continuing criminal activity and aiding and abetting drug trafficking.

How did their drug trade in Alaska go?

Court documents show the cartel recruited couriers in Alaska using fake identities on social media and encrypted messaging platforms.

Guevara instructed the couriers on how to smuggle drugs back to Alaska, where they were paid for the transportation and then distributed locally.

Alaska’s appeal to drug traffickers stems from the fact that there are relatively few competing criminal networks and the much higher profits to be made from drug sales.

James Klugman, chief of federal criminal prosecutions for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Alaska, explained that the state’s isolation allows drug traffickers to charge much higher prices for drugs.

Bad news for ‘Los Chapitos’!

The Justice Department also stressed the importance of this case in the ongoing fight against fentanyl and other drug trafficking.

The cartel has come under increasing scrutiny and has faced numerous legal action, including the capture of El Chapo in 2019 and the arrest of his son and co-founder in July of this year.

Locally, three individuals involved in the Alaska case have already been sentenced to 120 months in prison for drug trafficking: Joel Rascone, Serena Joseph, 63 months, and Washahiotha Zaragoza, 18 months.

Four other suspects remain at large in Mexico, USA TODAY highlighted. TO VIEW THE SENTENCE, CLICK HERE.