Damaso Lopez-Serrano, a notorious cartel leader who was popularly referred to as "Mini Lic," has finally pleaded guilty in a federal court.
He was the leader of an organized drug cartel by the name Sinaloa Cartel Cell, which is allegedly responsible for the widespread distribution of hard drugs like cocaine and heroin in the U.S.
According to the Department of Justice, Lopez-Serrano was directly involved in the importation and distribution of hard drugs.
It is also alleged that the cartel has been in the business for a while, generating revenue running into the millions of dollars.
The 29-year-old alleged drug dealer from Culiacan, Mexico has been on the Drug Enforcement Administration's watch list for some time. According to a Department of Justice press release, Lopez-Serrano is the highest-ranking Mexican cartel leader to turn himself in to U.S. law enforcement.
This arrest is seen as very significant achievement for the federal agencies working tirelessly to unravel the stronghold cartels have on many American cities. Although Lopez-Serrano is just one of many most-wanted criminals in the U.S., his arrest will see an enormous impact on the cartel he led as it is likely to collapse.
On January 10 of this month, Lopez-Serrano pleaded guilty to all charges filed against him in front of a federal judge-a move many did not comprehend up to now. He was charged with the conspiracy to distribute and import controlled substances including heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine.
The increased distribution of these substances has led to a sharp uptick in drug overdoses occurring across the U.S. within the last few years.
It was during this month's hearing that Lopez-Serrano finally admitted to his role as ringleader of the notorious Sinaloa Cartel. He stated he led the effort to transport the drugs to their intended destinations from Mexico to U.S. territory.
The firearms that Lopez-Serrano and his cartel members carried were allegedly used in the process of transporting their drug supply.
This promoted their business through intimidation and threats to anyone who resisted their operations.
The Department of Justice has stated that the case regarding Lopez-Serrano will be decided on July 12.
According to the DEA agents and other law enforcement units investigating the case, the Sinaloa Cartel has been on their radar for a long time now.
Reportedly, they were initially investigating what was thought to be a small-scale drug distribution operation in San Diego, California.
On further investigation, law enforcement came to understand that the drugs had been sourced from the Sinaloa Cartel. This heightened the case to national relevance, launching a multi-agency effort to bring down the cartel.
During this time, Lopez-Serrano self-surrendered to U.S. authorities last year.
Further results of the coordinated investigation were seen when many arrests and seizures became the order of the day since then.
Among the items seized were 90 kilograms of heroin, 1,300 kilograms of methamphetamine, over 2,000 kilograms of cocaine and 17.2 tons of marijuana-all topping millions in street value.
During the takedown, many leaders in different levels of the Sinaloa Cartel have been arrested. So far, many of them have pleaded guilty in federal courts.
Damaso Lopez-Serrano will have to wait until his hearing to receive the judge's final decision on his fate.
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