A Mexican national, accused of supplying the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG or Jalisco Cartel) with precursor chemicals for controlled substances production, was extradited from Mexico to Washington, D.C., today to face trial. Francisco Pulido Coracero, 66, is set to make his initial court appearance on May 13 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxila A. Upadhyaya in the District of Columbia.
In March 2021, a grand jury in Washington, D.C., charged Pulido Coracero and his co-conspirator, Carlos Algredo Vazquez, 58, with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine for importation into the United States. They were also charged with conspiracy to distribute listed chemicals—including methylamine, nitroethane, phenylacetic acid, toluene, and acetone—to be used to manufacture methamphetamine for importation into the United States. The indictment was unsealed in February 2023.
Carlos Algredo Vazquez’s brother, Javier Algredo Vazquez, 56, was convicted at trial in July 2023 for his role in the same drug conspiracy and sentenced on Feb. 23 to over 18 years in prison.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said that "precursor chemicals are the lifeblood of the Jalisco Cartel’s deadly drug trafficking operation." He added that "today’s extradition of one of the cartel’s alleged chemical suppliers... demonstrates the long and relentless reach of the Justice Department."
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri stated that "the defendant allegedly conspired to distribute methamphetamine and its precursor chemicals into the United States for at least 10 years." She highlighted that this case "reaffirms the importance of our enduring partnership with the Government of Mexico."
According to court documents and evidence presented at Javier Algredo Vazquez’s trial, Pulido Coracero, the Vazquez brothers, and other co-conspirators allegedly used seemingly legitimate companies in Mexico and the United States to acquire chemicals from companies in China, India, and elsewhere. These chemicals were then distributed and used by the CJNG and other Mexican drug trafficking organizations to manufacture controlled substances for importation into the United States.
Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said that "Pulido Coracero will now face justice for allegedly conspiring with the Jalisco Cartel." She emphasized DEA's commitment to "stopping the Jalisco and Sinaloa Cartels."
Mexican authorities arrested both Pulido Coracero and Carlos Algredo Vazquez in October 2023. The extradition of Carlos Algredo Vazquez to the United States is still pending.
The DEA Los Angeles Field Division investigated this case with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service’s Investigative Operations Division and Homeland Security Investigations Houston. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also contributed significantly to the investigation.
Trial Attorneys Kate Naseef and Jonathan Hornok, Acting Assistant Deputy Chief Nhan Nguyen, and Acting Deputy Chief Kaitlin Sahni of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.