“Anonymous” for Borderland Beat
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| Alfredo Vásquez Hernández, also known as Alberto Bazan Orozco, was financially sanctioned by the US government in September 2011 (photo credit: OFAC) |
Alfredo Vasquez Hernandez, 68, who held a prominent position within the inner circle of Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, stands as one of the highest-ranking members sentenced in Chicago. Currently serving a 22-year prison term imposed in 2014, Vasquez-Hernandez is seeking a potential reduction.
In a comprehensive 13-page letter addressed to U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman, he argues that he meets the criteria for early release as outlined in the First Step Act, a legislative measure signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2018. Citing health issues and modifications in drug sentencing laws, Vasquez-Hernandez advocates for reconsideration of his sentence.
Having been in federal custody for 13 years, Vasquez-Hernandez anticipates release within the next two years, factoring in accrued “good time” due to a clean record and completed educational courses while in prison. However, he contends that the conditions at the Fort Dix federal correctional center in New Jersey, where he is currently held, are deplorable.
Furthermore, he disputes his classification as a “manager or supervisor,” a designation that would have shortened his prison sentence. Representing himself legally, Vasquez-Hernandez petitions the judge to amend his sentence to “time served.”
While El Chapo, his lifelong friend, serves a life sentence in a federal prison in Colorado, four of El Chapo’s sons faced federal charges in Chicago last year, accused of continuing their father’s multibillion-dollar drug enterprise. Ovidio Guzman Lopez, one of El Chapo’s sons, was extradited from Mexico to Chicago.
Margarito and Pedro Flores, who were among El Chapo’s prominent cocaine customers and grew up in Little Village, cooperated with the government against both El Chapo and Vasquez-Hernandez. In exchange for their testimony, the twin brothers received lenient 14-year sentences.
In 2009, Margarito Flores testified before a grand jury, stating, “On behalf of Chapo… Alfredo organized the transportation of cocaine from Colombia to Mexico in airplanes; was involved in the transportation of cocaine from Colombia to Mexico in submarines and ‘submergibles’ or semi-submersible vessels… and facilitated the transportation of cocaine in rail cars.”
Prosecutors alleged that Vasquez-Hernandez served as the cartel’s logistics coordinator, overseeing the transportation of multi-ton shipments of cocaine into the United States. In 2014, he pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to distribute narcotics, specifically involving a 276-kilogram shipment of cocaine from Mexico to Chicago by train.
Vasquez-Hernandez’s attorney contended that the Flores twins had exaggerated his role within the cartel. Even Judge Ruben Castillo, presiding at the time, expressed confusion over the government’s inability to demonstrate how Vasquez-Hernandez, who presented himself as a body shop worker, had become affluent through his association with El Chapo.
“He has no assets — it’s like he’s Mr. X. I’d like to know who it is that I’m sentencing,” Castillo said, expressing bewilderment at Vasquez-Hernandez’s apparent lack of identifiable wealth and suggesting the possibility of a concealed “small fortune.”
In his letter to the court dated December 26, Vasquez-Hernandez contends that “no one is frozen in time” and asserts his rehabilitation during his prison term. He acknowledges the folly of the life path that led him to break the law, describing it as “stupid, unnecessary, and wrong.”
Notably, he highlights his clean prison record without any infractions. Despite not being a fluent English speaker, he reveals his commitment to pursuing educational goals by preparing for a General Equivalency Degree (GED) test, especially as he lacks a high school diploma.
Vasquez-Hernandez lists various classes he has taken in prison, including accounting, parenting, painting, and vocational courses. Federal prosecutors are expected to respond to Vasquez-Hernandez’s letter by February 1.
Sources: Chicago Sun-Times