McALLEN, Texas — This week, the son-in-law of a notorious Mexican drug lord accepted a guilty plea related to a violent scheme aimed at manipulating prices and exerting control over the cross-border used-car market between the U.S. and Mexico.
Carlos Favian Martinez, who is related to former Gulf Cartel leader Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, made his plea in a federal court located in Houston. He admitted to various serious charges such as conspiracy to fix prices, monopolization, extortion-related interference with commerce, and money laundering. Alongside Martinez, nine other individuals were indicted in November 2022 for their roles in this extensive operation.
According to prosecutors, the criminal activities spanned eleven years, commencing in 2011, and focused on establishing fixed prices for forwarding agency services in Los Indios, Texas, situated roughly 20 miles northwest of Brownsville. This area serves as a significant entry point for countless migrants who purchase used vehicles in the U.S. and transport them back to Central America through the border.
The indictment details extensive acts of violence, including beatings, kidnappings, and even fatal shootings, carried out by members of the conspiracy against those who either underpriced their services or refused to comply with an imposed extortion tax.
During a detention hearing held in July 2023, the connection between Martinez and Cárdenas Guillén came to light. A federal agent testified that Martinez referenced his ties to individuals in Matamoros and Reynosa while involved in a kidnapping operation. The agent noted that he is married to Cárdenas Guillén’s daughter, who is a 57-year-old originally from Matamoros, Mexico, a city known for its violent cartel activities particularly associated with the formation of the Zetas.
Martinez’s plea, first reported by local outlets, resulted in a proposed eleven-year prison sentence, although the official sentencing hearing is expected to take place in May.
“After two years of litigation, we were able to come to a mutually agreeable resolution, which includes a sentence of eleven years,” stated Kent A. Schaffer, the attorney representing Martinez. He added that his client has been in custody for over two years since his arrest and views this plea as a pathway to return home as soon as feasible.
Notably, Martinez’s father-in-law, Cárdenas Guillén, was recently deported back to Mexico after serving a portion of his sentence in the U.S. He is now facing additional allegations related to drug trafficking, organized crime, and money laundering in his home country.
