(WNY News Now) – Gilberto Alarcon-Holguin, a 57-year-old Mexican national, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges related to drug trafficking and money laundering, following his extradition from Mexico.
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced that Gilberto Alarcon-Holguin, also known as “Beto,” 57, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr., to charges of conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine and conspiracy to commit money laundering. These crimes carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a potential maximum sentence of life in prison, in addition to a fine of up to $10 million.
Alarcon-Holguin was involved in an extensive drug distribution network that spanned across multiple U.S. cities, including Buffalo and Louisville, KY. According to the plea agreement, his criminal activities began with the October 14, 2017, seizure of 10 kilograms of cocaine by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). During the investigation, HSI tracked communications between Alarcon-Holguin and his co-conspirators, which ultimately led to a controlled delivery of “sham” cocaine to a motel parking lot in Corfu, NY, on October 19, 2017. Following the delivery, New York State Police intercepted a vehicle carrying $259,960 in cash.
Further investigation revealed that Alarcon-Holguin coordinated shipments of cocaine and provided instructions on packaging drug proceeds. For example, he advised co-conspirator Edgar Pavia on how to send money back to Mexico, including specific instructions for wrapping it into 52 packages, each containing $10,000. His trafficking operations also involved large drug shipments, including 40 kilograms of cocaine seized in Buffalo in June 2018.
Throughout the investigation, law enforcement seized significant amounts of drugs and cash, including 17 kilograms of cocaine from a co-conspirator in West Seneca, NY, and more than $1.1 million from a commercial truck driver in Chicago, Illinois. In total, investigators confiscated approximately $2.6 million in cash and multiple kilograms of cocaine.
The successful prosecution of Alarcon-Holguin resulted from a joint investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, New York State Police, the Erie County Sheriff’s Department, and Customs and Border Protection, with assistance from the New York National Guard and law enforcement agencies in El Paso, Texas. The U.S. Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs coordinated with Mexican authorities to facilitate Alarcon-Holguin’s extradition to the United States.
Alarcon-Holguin’s sentencing is scheduled for September 3, 2025, before Judge Sinatra.
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