Alleged Gulf Cartel ‘enforcer’ placed on probation

McALLEN, TEXAS ( ValleyCentral ) — A businessman who allegedly laundered millions of dollars for the Gulf Cartel was placed on probation Thursday.

During a hearing on Thursday morning, Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane placed Jesus Juraidini, 57, of Brownsville on probation for three years.

“I just want to say I am remorseful for what I did,” Juraidini said.

As part of his plea, Juraidini admitted that he paid more than $2.5 million in cash to Delfino Gaona, a businessman from Mission who owned Keystone Construction.

Juraidini paid Gaona for land and construction projects, including homes in McAllen and Mission.

Businesses that accept more than $10,000 in cash are required to report the transaction by filing a document called Form 8300 with the IRS. Juraidini and Gaona, however, agreed not to report the cash payments.

Prosecutors charged them with conspiracy to defraud the United States and failing to file an IRS Form 8300.

Gaona pleaded guilty in 2020. Juraidini pleaded guilty in 2021.

Juraidini also cooperated with the government.

What, exactly, Juraidini did remains unclear, but he apparently helped the FBI build a case against Jose Luis Trejo , a McAllen businessman.

A grand jury indicted Trejo on a federal money laundering charge in October 2020. Trejo pleaded not guilty.

Crane, the federal judge, discussed the case against Trejo during a status conference in February 2022.

In his initial interview, Juraidini denied any wrongdoing, Crane said, summarizing a sealed motion filed by Trejo’s attorneys.

“Then there’s a ‘show and tell’ with him and he changes his mind,” Crane said. “He says ‘OK, look, you’re right.’”

Juraidini admitted that he worked “with” the cartel, Crane said, but not necessarily “for” the cartel.

“They certainly paint a picture of him as — I mean, you know, obviously — somebody who is engaged very significantly in illegal activities his whole life,” Crane said, summarizing the sealed motion. “And threatening physical violence against people to extort concessions from them is what is suggested in the motion at least.”

Attorney Jason M. Davis of San Antonio, who represented Trejo, suggested his client was afraid of Juraidini.

“This is a guy who has admitted being an enforcer for the cartel meeting with Mr. Trejo and saying: ‘Hey, will you give me a check for this cash?’” Davis said.

Davis also said, based on documents provided by the government, that Juraidini had confessed to extorting people.

“He came in and, basically, according to the reports, admitted being the main extorter for the Gulf Cartel,” Davis said. “And laundering millions of dollars.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Roberto “Bobby” Lopez Jr., who handled both the Juraidini case and the Trejo case, didn’t argue with that description.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas struck a deal with Trejo in July 2022.

Prosecutors agreed to dismiss the money laundering charge. In exchange, Trejo pleaded guilty to transporting an illegal alien within the United States and was placed on probation.

Juraidini, meanwhile, returned to court for sentencing Thursday morning.

Crane said the presentence investigation report didn’t provide many details about the conspiracy not to report cash transactions. When he asked if the cash was “cartel” money, Lopez asked to approach the bench so they could speak privately.

Crane said he just wanted to know “what’s really going on here.”

The sealed discussion took roughly seven minutes.

“That was an earful,” Crane said.

Lopez said the government couldn’t provide any information about whether the money came from illegal activity.

After being approached by the FBI, though, Juraidini cooperated with the government.

Juraidini attempted “to make things right,” said his attorney, Rolando Cantu of McAllen.

In addition to providing the government with information, Juraidini agreed to pay $2,519,000.

The government received $2.5 million on Thursday morning, Lopez said. Juraidini plans to pay the remaining $19,000 as soon as possible.

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