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An alleged Ecuadorian drug trafficker accused of supplying cocaine to some of Mexico’s most powerful cartels made his initial appearance Friday in a San Diego federal courtroom.

Wilder Emilio Sanchez Farfan, 43, was indicted by a grand jury in 2019 for allegedly taking part in the trafficking of cocaine from Colombia, through Ecuador, and then to the United States,

according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Prosecutors say Sanchez Farfan, also known as Gato, led an organization that was a “major source of supply for the Sinaloa Cartel and the New Generation Jalisco Cartel in Mexico.”

In 2022, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Sanchez Farfan, calling him “one of the most significant drug traffickers in the world today” in a statement.

Sanchez Farfan was arrested last year in Colombia and arrived in San Diego on Thursday. He pleaded not guilty during his initial court appearance and a judge ordered him detained pending

trial.

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