California judge sentences Mexican cartel kingpin to 15 years in prison

Cocaine kingpin that is believed to have worked with Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán was sentenced today to 15 years in prison in a San Diego courtroom for his role in trafficking the narcotic across the U.S. border.

Víctor Emilio Cázares, who went by the aliases “El Licenciado” or “El Viejo,” was also ordered to pay 10 million dollars in damages.

Prior to his sentencing by district judge William Hayes, Cázares made an initial payment of 150,000 dollars, according to authorities.

The 53 year old pleaded guilty to being the leader of the drug trafficking crime group that goes by the name of “Organización Cázares,” which oversees shipment of narcotics across the U.S. border.

“The Organización Cázares was in the business of shipping tons of cocaine from producers in Colombia and Venezuela to Mexico and distributing the drug throughout the U.S.” according to a press statement by prosecutors.

The U.S. Attorney's Office believes that Cázares worked with Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the fallen leader of the Sinaloa cartel, one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking cartels in the entire world.