Wife of Sinaloa Cartel kingpin sentenced in San Diego to 14 years in prison
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KESQ) - The wife of a Sinaloa Cartel kingpin was sentenced in San Diego federal court today to 14 years in prison for her role in her husband's organization's drug trafficking and money laundering offenses.
Claudia Patricia Alvarez Hernandez, 38, described in a prosecution sentencing memorandum as a "trusted high-ranking member'' of her husband's organization, took on a supervisory role after her husband's arrest and made efforts to secure the organization's illegal assets, prosecutors said.
Her husband, Jorge Alberto Valenzuela-Valenzuela, took over a criminal organization that was previously run by his brother, Gabriel Valenzuela-Valenzuela, who was killed during a conflict with another Sinaloa Cartel leader, prosecutors said.
Valenzuela-Valenzuela was arrested in November of 2020. He has since pleaded guilty to federal charges and awaits sentencing next year.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said what's known as the Valenzuela Transnational Criminal Organization was one of the largest importers of cocaine into the United States and was also responsible for trafficking fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine into the U.S., along with firearms and drug proceeds into Mexico.
Prosecutors wrote in their sentencing papers that Alvarez Hernandez lived a luxurious lifestyle during her relationship with Valenzuela-Valenzuela, but she "became intimately involved in the operation of Jorge's organization" after he was arrested.
Along with her prison term, Alvarez Hernandez was ordered to forfeit over $5 million worth of watches, jewelry, vehicles and cash seized by law enforcement during a search of her residence.
A sentencing memorandum from her defense attorneys said she "did not direct drug-trafficking activities, nor did she attempt to perpetuate the criminal enterprise.'" The memorandum states that her involvement in the organization "was largely reactive and driven by uncertainty surrounding the
family's financial future."
