Alfredo 'Mochomo' Beltrán Leyva Sentenced: Mexican Drug Lord Gets Life In U.S. Prison

Alfredo Beltrán Leyva, known as "Mochomo", the Mexican drug lord behind the Beltrán Leyva Organization was sentenced to life today. The 47-year-old trafficker is responsible for importing great amounts of cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States. US District Court Judge Richard Leon sentenced the kingpin "along with a $529,200,000 forfeiture amount based on an 'extremely conservative' estimate of the amount of cocaine Beltran Leyva moved to the border for importation to the US," according to CNN report.

"I have told the truth before you. I accept the responsibility that I helped by brother Arturo sell cocaine in Culiacán, knowing that it was coming to the US, but I have never sent one kilogram to the US," he said. He also apologized to his children saying, "I ask forgiveness for the behavior that brought me here and I apologize to God — the highest authority — and to my children... I ask you to have mercy on me and let me one day return to my family." Beltrán Leyva plea agreement included him admitting to shipping tons of cocaine from South America to the U.S. for close to two decades.

Following the sentence, Assistant Director Stephen E. Richardson of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division, said in a statement: "Today's sentencing marks an end to Alfredo Beltran Leyva's reign of terror, and demonstrates that the FBI and our law enforcement partners around the globe will aggressively pursue and bring justice to those individuals who use violence and intimidation to threaten our communities."