A suspected leader of the Mexico-based Sinaloa crime cartel has been extradited from the Netherlands to the United States.
U.S. authorities say Jose Rodrigo Arechiga-Gamboa arrived in the California city of San Diego Thursday and was booked into federal custody on charges of conspiracy to distribute and import controlled substances. He is scheduled to be arraigned Friday.
The suspect is alleged to have served as a bodyguard for the Sinaloa cartel, providing security for narcotics shipments and carrying out other enforcement operations.
According to extradition documents, Arechiga-Gamboa rose to become one of the highest-level leaders in the Sinaloa cartel.
U.S. officials say he was identified despite having plastic surgery and attempting to alter his fingerprints. He was also found to be traveling on a fake passport, assuming the identity of a deceased relative.
