Until his arrest in March 2011, Juan Alberto Ortiz Lopez, alias 'Juan Chamale,’ was ranked by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as Guatemala’s number one drug trafficker.
Ortiz based his criminal network in the San Marcos province, one of the most important regions in Guatemala given its proximity to the highlands, Mexico and to the Pacific coast, where most of the drugs coming from South America land. His power was concentrated in the San Martin municipality, in the northern part of the state, where he was able to control both marijuana and poppy production and coordinate movement of cocaine and his drugs north. Authorities estimate that Guatemala may produce more poppy, the raw material for heroin, than Colombia.
Ortiz exerts influence on local politicians and police in the region. He is thought to have worked out a deal that made him the Sinaloa Cartel’s top transporter. His group's control of various points along the coast gave it a strategic advantage over competitors.
A Guatemalan court ruled in February 2012 that he could be extradited to the US to face drug trafficking charges.
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