LETHBRIDGE – A Mexican national who lived in Lethbridge has been extradited to the United States after an investigation between the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT), Lethbridge Police and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Javier Batista Cervantes, 35, was handed over to U.S. Marshals in Calgary on Tuesday, and boarded a flight to Colorado.
Cervantes is wanted in that state on drug trafficking charges.
Cervantes, along with six others, was indicted in 2010 for the importation of cocaine.
American authorities allege cocaine was brought to Colorado from Mexico, where it was later smuggled into Canada.
Co-accused Hector Armondo Chavez was extradited from Lethbridge earlier this year.
The investigation started in April 2010 when a Coalhurst man was arrested at the Del Bonita Port of Entry after officers searched his vehicle and found 16.5 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside.
According to the U.S. Attorney General, if convicted of conspiracy charges, Cervantes faces at least 10 years in federal prison, as well as up to a $4 million fine.
Comments