PM:
A Mexico-based leader accused of running a violent, cartel-connected drug trafficking organization tied to methamphetamine smuggled in candle wax has been arraigned in US District Court in Seattle.
Federal prosecutors announced that Jose Luis Sanchez-Valencia, 58, appeared in court on Thursday after being transferred from Mexico to the United States last month. The Mexican national faces a four-count federal indictment returned in 2022, charging him with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and three counts of illegal use of a communication facility. Sanchez-Valencia pleaded not guilty, and US District Judge John C. Coughenour set the trial for April 20, 2026. READ MORE