Criminals come in all shapes and sizes, but few are as brazen as Malam Bacai Sanha Jr., the 52-year-old son of Guinea-Bissau’s former president.
Houston – Malam Bacai Sanha Jr. was sentenced to serve an 80-month-term of imprisonment for his involvement in an international heroin trafficking conspiracy.
Sanha Jr. pleaded guilty on September 6, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance for the purpose of unlawful importation.
With the assistance of co-conspirators, Sanha provided 4.7 kilograms of heroin to an undercover member of law enforcement in Lisbon, Portugal, in February and March 2022.
He further agreed to deliver the heroin on at least three occasions, believing it would be unlawfully imported into the United States.
Sanha was the leader of a transnational criminal organization and worked with co-conspirators and international individuals to import heroin from various countries into Portugal.
He intended to use drug proceeds to finance his future campaign for president in 2025 and a coup in Guinea-Bissau.
‘The expansive reach of transnational criminal networks, like the one Sanha ran, presents a serious threat to the safety and health of all communities,’ said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Sanha will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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