Deovaldo Gutierrez Alfaro, International Narcotics Distribution Conspiracy, New York 2019

A federal judge in Brooklyn has sentenced a member of the H-2 Mexican Drug Cartel to 60 months in prison for his role in a large-scale international narcotics distribution conspiracy.

Deovaldo Gutierrez Alfaro, also known as ‘Leoba,’ was arrested in March 2019 in Nayarit, Mexico, and extradited to the United States in November 2019. He pleaded guilty to the charges in June 2021.

Between January 2013 and February 2017, the H-2 Cartel distributed approximately 500 kilograms of heroin, 100 kilograms of cocaine, 200 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 3,000 kilograms of marijuana into the United States each month, earning millions of dollars in illegal proceeds. The cartel used firearms and physical violence, including torture and dozens of homicides, to further its operation.

Alfaro conspired with the H-2 Cartel to smuggle large quantities of heroin from Mexico into the United States and distribute the heroin throughout the country, including in the Eastern District of New York. He also helped the cartel move hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds from the United States back to Mexico.

The government’s case was handled by the Office’s International Narcotics & Money Laundering Section, with Assistant United States Attorneys Craig R. Heeren, Ryan C. Harris, and Andrew D. Wang leading the prosecution.

The defendant, Deovaldo Gutierrez Alfaro, is a 43-year-old resident of Nayarit, Mexico. He was charged with participation in a large-scale international narcotics distribution conspiracy, specifically smuggling heroin into the United States and distributing it throughout the country, including in the Eastern District of New York.

Alfaro was sentenced by United States District Judge Carol Bagley Amon to 60 months’ imprisonment. The sentence was announced by Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and William D. Bodner, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Los Angeles Division.

Related Federal Cases