DENVER—A suspected Mexican drug kingpin accused of using a remote Colorado ranch to smuggle millions of dollars worth of drugs into the United States is facing trafficking charges.
Oscar Arriola Marquez appeared in federal court in Denver Wednesday to be advised of the charges. He was extradited to Colorado from Mexico on Tuesday.
Authorities say Arriola Marquez helped ship 440 pounds of cocaine a week through a ranch in Peyton, Colo., for distribution to Chicago and New York City.
Arriola Marquez was indicted in Denver in 2003. He was arrested in Mexico in 2006 and has been held there ever since. He is due in court Monday for an arraignment hearing.
Arriola Marquez’s brother, Miguel, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking in 2007 and awaits sentencing.
