Chula Vista woman who allegedly led drug cell linked to Sinaloa cartel sentenced to prison

A Chula Vista woman who prosecutors say held a leadership role in a drug trafficking organization with ties to the Sinaloa Cartel was sentenced Tuesday to 11 years and three months in prison.

Prosecutors said Wuendi Valenzuela Valenzeula led a trafficking operation originally ran by her brother, Jorge Valenzuela, after he was arrested in 2020.

The defendant pleaded guilty to conspiracy counts related to money laundering and the distribution and importation of cocaine. According to her plea agreement, she worked with co-conspirators to import “thousands of kilograms of cocaine” from Mexico into the United States through San Diego County ports of entry, where it was then distributed throughout San Diego County and the U.S.

She also admitted to helping move cash proceeds from drug sales back into Mexico, the plea agreement states.

A grand jury indictment returned against Valenzuela Valenzuela and her co-defendants says the organization also obtained firearms and ammunition in the U.S. and transported them into Mexico.

To that end, the indictment references a specific incident in which 20,000 rounds of .50-caliber ammunition were purchased in Oregon, ...