A recently extradited cartel boss from Mexico, who is facing numerous federal drug trafficking charges in Virginia, was a favored government contractor in the Mexican border state of Tamaulipas. The state is controlled by the controversial governor from the MORENA party, Americo Villarreal.

This week, as Breitbart Texas reported, Mexico’s federal government extradited 26 top-level cartel bosses to the United States as a way to appease the Trump administration. The U.S. government has been accusing Mexico of not doing enough to fight drug cartels. The 26 extradicted cartel bosses included key figures within the Sinaloa Cartel, Cartel Jalisco New Generation, La Familia Michoacana, Los Zetas, and others.

One of those cartel bosses is Jose Francisco “El Yiyo” Mendoza Gomez, who is wanted out of the eastern district of Virginia on various drug charges. According to the criminal indictment, Mendoza Gomez worked with Marcela “La Dama de Hierro” Florez Torruco in moving large-scale quantities of cocaine from Colombia and Panama into Virginia. That smuggling group had strong ties with the Sinaloa Cartel.

New information, first uncovered by Mexican journalist Shalma Castillo, revealed that Mendoza Gomez received several large-scale government contracts from Tamaulipas Governor Americo Villarreal. According to the report, Mendoza Gomez ran two companies called JF Konstruyendo and Megamax. Through those two companies, Mendoza Gomez secured approximately $4 million in contracts from the Tamaulipas government for construction and other services provided.

As Breitbart Texas reported, Villarreal is the same politician who had members of the Gulf Cartel support his campaign and even hold political rallies for him. The governor is also linked to cartel-connected fuel theft magnates who pumped millions into his political campaigns.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart News Foundation. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com. 

Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.