United States

Mexican State Prosecutor Held on Drug Charges in NYC Case

The attorney was indicted on Tuesday for drug trafficking conspiracy

A Mexican attorney general has been arrested at the San Diego border in a New York City drug case, federal prosecutors say. 

Prosecutors allege that Edgar Veytia, state prosecutor from the Mexican state of Nayarit, was smuggling and trying to distribute drugs in the U.S. 

The U.S. District Court of Eastern New York filed the charges March 2, and Veytia was arrested Monday at the Cross Border Xpress bridge, which links Tijuana Airport to the U.S., according to a Customs and Border Protection spokesman. 

He'll remain behind bars in San Diego until a hearing to determine if he should be shipped to New York City to face drug trafficking charges. He made a brief appearance Thursday in federal court in San Diego, where prosecutors say his lawyer didn't contest their request to have him held without bail.

An indictment unsealed on Tuesday in federal court in Brooklyn charges Veytia, also known as "Diablo," "Eepp," and "Lic veytia," with conspiracy to smuggle cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine to the United States from January 2013 to last month.

The U.S. District Court of Eastern New York alleges he manufactured and distributed at least 1 kilograms of heroin, 5 kilos of cocaine, 500 grams of methamphetamine and 1,000 kilos of marijuana between January 2013 and February 2017. 

If convicted, Veytia would have to forfeit all property believed to be obtained through his drug manufacturing and distributing, and all property used to commit the offenses, including at least $250 million, according to the United States District Court of Southern California.

Veytia's next court appearance is set for April 11.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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