SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)– An alleged drug trafficker was extradited from Mexico on Friday and is facing four separate charges, including the importation of fentanyl, after fleeing to Mexico in 2018, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of California.
Rosa De Arcos, 48, was arraigned in federal court after being extradited, and faces charges that include Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, Importation of Methamphetamine and Cocaine, Importation of Fentanyl and Bail Jumping, according to authorities.
According to the report, De Arcos was initially arrested back in May 2017 for concealing over 34 pounds of fentanyl inside her Jeep Wrangler, but was later released on bond.
Before that arrest, law enforcement had already obtained a wiretap on De Arcos and uncovered communication between her and her co-defendant, Maria Elena Urena Cervantes, allegedly discussing different incidents of drug trafficking in which they had participated, according to public records.
In an incident from January 2017, De Arcos allegedly aided Cervantes in importing cocaine and methamphetamine, which were later seized by law enforcement, according to the report.
Cervantes was arrested later that year, but was also released on bond.
Neither De Arcos nor Cervantes showed up to their status hearing on Nov. 18, 2019, and instead fled to Mexico, according to the report.
Authorities said Cervantes was arrested in Mexico in 2023 and was extradited to the U.S. In July 2024, she pleaded guilty and admitted to drug trafficking offenses with De Arcos. She is scheduled to be sentenced in December.
Two years after the arrest of Cervantes, De Arcos was arrested in Mexico in April and then extradited to the U.S. on Friday, according to the report.
De Arcos is scheduled for a status hearing on Aug. 25.
The importation of fentanyl charge she faces comes with a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison with a $10 million fine.
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