02/07/11— Sandra Avila Beltran, more famously known as the “Reina del Pacifico,” was sentenced to one year in prison by a federal judge in the state of Jalisco. Avila Beltran was found guilty of the possession of a firearm for the exclusive use of the Mexican Army. She has already served her time for this sentence, but due to an extradition process she will remain in prison for this.
Avila Beltran was admitted into the women’s prison of Santa Martha Acatitla on September 29, 2007, after her arrest and accusations of having ties to the Sinaloa Cartel and the Valle del Norte in Colombia, but the Attorney General of the Republic hasn’t made any judgements against her for drug-related crimes.
The Attorney General of the Republic accused Avila Beltran of involvement in the shipment of 9.5 tons of cocaine transported on the Macel vessel. The shipment was secured in December of 2001 and found off the coast of Manzanillo, Colima. For this, the Attorney General charged her with involvement in organized crime, drug trafficking, and money laundering. However, last year the trial judge revealed that the Attorney General “hasn’t established the alleged involvement of Avila Beltran with the criminal organizations that were allegedly linked or the shipping of cocaine.” For this reason, Avila Beltran was acquitted.
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