Mexican National Extradited From Mexico To The United States To Face Cocaine Trafficking And Money Laundering Charges

BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Gilberto Alarcon-Holguin a/k/a Beto, 55, a Mexican national, was arraigned in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York on charges of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to launder the illicit proceeds charges. In December 2022, Alarcon-Holguin was arrested by Mexican authorities in Mexico pursuant to an extradition request from the United States. he was extradited from Mexico to the United States on May 26, 2023. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Adler and Jeremiah E. Lenihan, who are handling the case, stated that according to the indictment against Alarcon-Holguin, between October 2017, and December 2018, he conspired with others to sell cocaine and then launder the proceeds of the drug sales. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 2.6-million dollars. 

Alarcon-Holguin was arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. and was held pending a detention hearing on June 6, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer. 

The indictment is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia; the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eugene Staniszewski; the Erie County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia; and Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Unit, under the direction of Brian Manaher, Director, Marine Operations. Additional assistance was provided by the New York National Guard and Homeland Security Investigations, El Paso, Texas. The Government of Mexico, including the Fiscalía General de la República (FGR), provided significant assistance in the extradition of Alarcon-Holguin to the United States. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Alarcon-Holguin.             

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.       

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