A man whom San Diego federal prosecutors say supplied large quantities of cocaine to some of Mexico's most powerful drug cartels pleaded guilty Thursday to international conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
Wilder Emilio Sanchez Farfan was indicted by a grand jury in 2019 for taking part in the trafficking of cocaine from Colombia, through Ecuador and then to the United States, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
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WATCH HEREProsecutors say Sanchez Farfan, also known as Gato, led an organization that was a "major source of supply for the Sinaloa Cartel and the New Generation Jalisco Cartel in Mexico."
In 2022, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Sanchez Farfan, calling him "one of the most significant drug traffickers in the world today" in a statement.
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SIGN UP As part of his plea agreement, Sanchez Farfan admitted his organization was involved in trafficking cocaine out of South America between 2016 and 2023. He also admitted his group bribed government officials in order to further the drug trafficking conspiracy.
Sanchez Farfan was arrested in 2023 in Colombia and extradited to the U.S.
He is slated to sentenced in August, when he faces a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison.
