NEW YORK - The former governor of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, pled guilty to conspiring to launder up to $19 millions in narcotics bribe payments that he received from the Juarez Cartel – one of Mexico’s most notorious and violent cocaine cartels – through accounts at banks in the U.S. and other countries. Villanueva Madrid, 64, was extradited from Mexico in May of 2010.  He pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero. 

Villanueva Madrid, admitted to conspiring to launder millions of dollars in narcotics bribe payments that he received from the Juarez Cartel – one of Mexico’s most notorious and violent cocaine cartels – through accounts at banks in the U.S. and other countries.  His international criminal activities date back to the 1990s.

Villanueva Madrid faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 26,