United States Drug Enforcement Administration

SAN DIEGO – Angel Dominguez Ramirez Jr., a former U.S. Marine with dual U.S. and Mexican citizenship, was sentenced in federal court to 195 months in prison for leading an international organization that transported ton-quantities of cocaine from South America to Mexico and into the United States.

Dominguez had previously entered a guilty plea to International Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and Money Laundering Conspiracy. In pronouncing sentence yesterday, U.S. District Judge William Q. Hayes noted the “staggering” amount of cocaine that Dominguez smuggled.

According to a court document, the organization Dominguez headed called itself El Seguimiento 39, El Seg 39, or simply “The Company.” According to the same document, Dominguez built his organization through cooperative alliances with the Beltran Leyva Organization (BLO), the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), the Sinaloa Cartel, the Cartel del Golfo (CDG), and Los Zetas.

Other publicly filed documents note that El Seg 39 also used its contacts with corrupt high-level Mexican officials to thwart investigations into its drug trafficking activities. As noted in court documents, agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) estimate that at its height El Seg 39 used these alliances to smuggle approximately 10 tons of cocaine into the United States each month and move at least $10 million dollars of drug proceeds back into Mexico monthly.

“This case is a perfect example of how DEA and our law enforcement partners work together to dismantle criminal organizations,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Shelly S. Howe.

“Today’s sentence sends a message that the leaders of even the most powerful criminal organizations will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman.

“Today’s sentencing of Dominguez is a strong example of HSI’s ongoing efforts to target and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking organizations in the world, whose multi-billion dollar criminal networks funnel drugs onto our streets and spread violence into our communities,” said Chad Plantz, Special Agent in Charge of HSI San Diego. “We will continue to work together with our law enforcement partners in Mexico to root out the leaders of these insidious cartels, wherever they may be found, and bring them to justice.”

AGENCIES: Homeland Security Investigations; United States Attorney’s Office; Customs and Border Protection; Department of Justice, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force; Department of Justice, Office of Enforcement Operations; Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs

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