An attorney general from a Mexican state was arrested at the U.S.-Mexico border south of San Diego for allegedly smuggling and trying to distribute drugs over a period of years, according to charges filed by the state of New York in early March.
The State of New York filed drug trafficking charges against Edgar Veytia, Nayarit's state prosecutor, on March 2, which led to his arrest on Monday, according to the indictment and authorities.
Veytia was taken into custody Monday at the Cross Border Xpress bridge, which links Tijuana Airport to the United States, U.S. Customs and Border Protection representative Ralph Desio confirmed.
Veytia, also known as “Diablo,” “Eepp,” and “Lic Veytia,” was indicted on charges including international conspiracy to illegally import, manufacture and distribute heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana and cocaine.
A lawyer for Veytia told NBC News he was just learning about the case and couldn't comment. Law enforcement sources told NBC News that Veytia was on their radar for some time and he was arrested as soon as possible.
Veytia allegedly smuggled the drugs between January 2013 and February 2017. The indictment, filed in the U.S. District Court of Eastern New York, links Veytia with at least one kilogram of heroin, five kilograms of cocaine, 500 grams of methamphetamine and 1,000 kilograms of marijuana smuggled into the country.
During that same, Veytia allegedly knew of and would attempt illegal importation of those drugs outside the U.S. as well.
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Federal prison records show Veytia remains in a San Diego lock-up, with a hearing scheduled Aprill 11 for removal to New York.
If convicted, the U.S. would seek at least $250 million from Veytia in property linked to drug manufacturing and distributing, according to the indictment.
