| | |  Americas & Beyond 
Mexico's `King of Heroin' to Face Charges in SoCal
 Associated Press
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March 27, 2010
| | Alleged drug trafficker Jose Antonio Medina, aka "Don Pepe", is escorted by police officers during a press conference in Mexico City on Thursday. Medina delivered an average of 200 kilos (440 pounds) of heroin a month to the United States. (AFP) | |
Ventura, Calif. — An alleged drug kingpin arrested in Mexico earlier this week is awaiting extradition to face drug charges in Ventura County, a newspaper reported.
Court filings obtained by the Ventura County Star have linked the arrest of Jose Antonio Medina, 36, to more than 130 pounds of heroin netted in a series of Southern California raids in 2008.
Medina, known as Mexico's "King of Heroin," was arrested in the western state of Michoacan on Wednesday.
The court documents show that the 2008 drug raids occurred after wiretaps recorded 20 phone conversations about drug transactions over a three-month period between Medina and Oxnard resident Salvador Alvarez, the newspaper reported.
The taps also intercepted calls to the Downey home of Julio Ramirez Sr., who allegedly delivered drugs supplied by Medina.
In addition to the heroin, investigators seized 28 pounds of methamphetamines and more than $200,000 during the raids, authorities said at the time.
Ramirez is currently awaiting sentencing. Alvarez is serving prison time.
Medina, nicknamed "Don Pepe," was charged with one count of conspiracy to transport narcotics for sale from noncontiguous counties, with a special allegation that the drugs exceeding 40 kilograms, according to a criminal complaint filed in January 2009.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Ryan Wright said prosecutors worked with State Department officials to obtain an arrest warrant from Mexico, which was issued the following March.
Wright said Medina, 35, faces a maximum sentence of 29 years if convicted on all counts.
Information from: Ventura County Star
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