Another victory was won Wednesday when according to the U.S. Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Roberto Angel Cardona, aka “Little Angelillo,” a Barrio Azteca gang leader, of El Paso, Texas, was sentenced to life in prison without parole for his participation in a racketeering conspiracy.
According to testimony presented at sentencing, Cardona was a leader in 2010 of the Barrio Azteca gang until he was arrested on drug charges on April 30, 2010. Cardona pleaded guilty on Aug. 2, 2011. He also participated in the BA’s activities by distributing narcotics, including heroin and cocaine, and collected extortion funds that were sent to the commissary accounts of fellow BA members in prison. One witness testified that Cardona ordered beatings of fellow BA members and personally assaulted a drug dealer who would not pay extortion money. Witnesses testified that BA members used weapons in the course of violence and regularly carried guns at meetings. A witness testified about personally attending a meeting where Cardona ordered extortion’s, assaults and kidnappings and testified that Cardona contacted him for the purposes of kidnapping someone in El Paso and delivering him to Juarez. According to testimony, Cardona arranged for the witness and others to meet with the victim, assault him, drug him, bind him and transport him to Juarez. The court also found that Cardona’s offense involved more than 30 kilograms of heroin and 150 kilograms of cocaine. Cardona directly imported large quantities of these drugs and sold them to retail drug dealers.
Thirty-five members and associates of the Barrio Azteca gang, including Cardona and 18 others who have pleaded guilty, were charged in a third superseding indictment unsealed in March 2011 with various counts of racketeering, murder, drug offenses, money laundering and obstruction of justice. Trial is set to begin April 6, 2012.
“This sentence reflects the severity of Roberto Cardona’s crimes as a leader of the brutal Barrio Azteca gang, as well as his individual acts of violence and drug trafficking,” said Assistant Attorney General Breuer. “On both sides of the border, Barrio Azteca gang members use violence, intimidation and fear to further their illegal activities. Lengthy prison sentences are an appropriate consequence and should cause would-be gang members to think twice about participating in such destructive activities.”
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