SAN DIEGO (AP) — Suspected drug kingpin Francisco Javier Arellano Felix pleaded not guilty to racketeering and conspiracy charges Thursday after arriving on U.S. soil in a Coast Guard boat and being whisked to a downtown jail under heavy security.
Arellano Felix did not speak during the brief hearing. His court-appointed attorney, Leila Morgan, pleaded not guilty on his behalf to racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to import and distribute controlled substances, and money laundering.
Arellano Felix, 36, had been captured on a sport boat in international waters Monday along with seven other men, including Arturo Villarreal Heredia, who U.S. authorities said was probably his second-in-command.