Jesús Ricardo Patrón Sánchez, known as 'H-3', 'Diabólico', 'Vela', was processed by Judge Peggy Kuo of the Federal Court for the Eastern District of New York, on charges of leading a transnational criminal organization, accused of distributing thousands of kilograms of narcotics and being involved in multiple murders.
According to a statement issued by the Eastern District of New York Prosecutor's Office, Patrón Sánchez, who was one of the main members of the Beltrán Leyva Cartel, was arrested in Mexico on February 8, 2019, after a provisional arrest warrant was issued against him. He was extradited to the United States on February 21, 2025.
The U.S. prosecutor stated: 'As alleged in the indictment and court filings, Patrón Sánchez was one of the key leaders of the drug trafficking organization, a brutally violent transnational criminal organization that flooded American streets with dangerous drugs and protected its operations through murders and corruption.'
Judge Kuo read the charges against Patrón Sánchez and ordered him to remain detained pending trial.
The detention of 'H-3' was carried out by elements of the Attorney General's Office (FGR) and the Secretariat of National Defense in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, Jalisco, in 2019. The alias 'H-3' refers to his position as the successor to Héctor Beltrán Leyva, known as 'El H', who was one of the most prominent leaders of the Beltrán Leyva Cartel and had previously been part of the Sinaloa Cartel.
The cartel was previously led by the accused's brother, Juan Francisco Patrón Sánchez, known as 'H-2', who was killed in 2017. Jesús Ricardo took over the main leadership of the criminal cell.
Patrón Sánchez faces a trial in which he is attributed key responsibilities in the criminal activities of the organization he led, related to drug trafficking and large-scale violence.
