In this courtroom artist's drawing Vicente Zambada Niebla appears before a U.S. District Judge Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010, in Chicago's federal court. Zambada-Niebla, accused of leading Mexico's Sinaloa drug cartel, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he conspired to import large quantities of heroin and literally tons of cocaine into the United States.
The Associated Press
Chicago, IL US - A man accused of being one of the leaders of a powerful Mexican drug cartel pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges that he conspired to import and sell large amounts of cocaine and heroin in the United States.
Jesus Vincente Zambada-Niebla, 34, listened silently to an interpreter as his New York-based defense attorney, Edward Panzer, entered the plea before Judge Ruben Castillo.
An especially large security contingent were on hand for the hearing in what prosecutors are calling the largest international drug conspiracy case in the Chicago's history.
Authorities say Zambada-Niebla was an influential, second-generation member of the Sinaloa drug cartel, and that he helped move large amounts of cocaine and heroin from South and Central America to the United States from 2005 to 2008. They say hundreds of kilograms of cocaine were taken to Chicago.
Zambada-Niebla was arrested last year in Mexico City and was
turned over to U.S. authorities on Thursday in what Justice Department officials said was a major step forward in the war on drugs. The Drug Enforcement Administration led the Chicago-based portion of the investigation, but numerous other federal and local law enforcement officials also took part.