Fugitive drug distributor captured in Mexico, returned to Arizona after 17 years on run

A man who failed to appear for sentencing in a federal marijuana case 17 years ago has been returned to Arizona after his arrest in Mexico, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.

Authorities brought Jorge Lamadrid-Carranz back to the United States on Thursday to face charges in Pima County. He was wanted on warrants in Arizona and Michigan dating to 2009.

Marshals located him in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, where Mexican authorities arrested him on Oct. 16, 2023.

Fugitive captured in Mexico faces multiple drug charges

U.S. Marshal Van Bayless said Lamadrid-Carranz’s return follows two cases of large-scale marijuana distribution.

Lamadrid-Carranza was arrested in Tucson in September 2007 as part of an investigation that led authorities to seize nearly 11,000 pounds of marijuana. The massive drug cache was valued at around $5.5 million at the time.

According to the Marshals Service, the home had commercial equipment modification specifically for refrigerated storage and processing.

Detectives also testified that the broader drug operation Lamadrid-Carranz was a part of handled around $61 million’s worth of marijuana.

“Lamadrid-Carranza’s arrest in Mexico and return to Arizona took years of persistence and cooperation across borders,” Bayless said in a Thursday news release. “Time and distance did not end our commitment to seeing these cases addressed.”

Family had alleged ties to Sinoloa cartel

Court records have also described alleged ties between members of Lamadrid-Carranz’s family and the Sinaloa cartel.

Arizona wasn’t the only state where he was investigated for drug-related charges.

In 2008, Lamadrid-Carranza was arrested in a federal drug case in Michigan. After posting a $10,000 bond and returning to Arizona, he pleaded guilty in March 2009. But he failed to appear for sentencing, leading to a federal arrest warrant, according to the Marshals Service.

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