López Tardón brothers
Ana Maria Kameno, known as the Queen of the Husband, accepted her statement this Friday regarding the events described by the anti-drug prosecutor in the National Court case against the crime syndicate. She pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, money laundering, and possession of illegal weapons, even though she did not accept the 39-year prison sentence prosecutors had requested. A total of 58 defendants, including Kameno, have reached agreement with prosecutors, while nine have partially agreed.
The hearing at the National Court’s San Fernando de Henares headquarters began more than two hours late due to last-minute deals negotiated by the Public Ministry. In the building where this large operation is being processed, 81 defendants are dispersed into three different rooms connected by videoconference, with heightened security involving a substantial presence of National Police officers.
The court is trying the members of the criminal organization led by the López Tardón brothers, Álvaro López Tardón and Artemio López Tardón. The crimes attributed to them range from money laundering and illegal weapons possession to drug trafficking, document falsification, offenses against the Public Treasury, and counterfeiting.
The indictment by the National Court Prosecutor, available to Europa Press, describes the organization as extremely complex, powerful, labyrinthine, intertwined, diverse, and meticulously planned. It is portrayed as permanent and structured, with international reach and divided into at least four major sectors or branches.
Despite the delay at the start of this first day, prosecutor Manuel Pérez Veiga urged the accused to respond to the questions posed by the court. The defendants who have acknowledged the facts presented by the Public Ministry include Kameno and her former partner, David Vela, who admitted the same facts, along with more than fifty others, including Laurentino Sánchez, a notable member of the organization.
One by one, they confirmed acceptance of the facts described in the indictment, but not all accepted the penalties reflected in the provisional qualification. Their confessions could provide mitigating reasons that may influence the eventual sentencing decisions.
Even though 58 of the 81 defendants have appeared before the court, it remains to be seen whether one of the organization’s leaders, Artemio López Tardón, will accept the Prosecutor’s proposed terms. The office has requested a sentence of 46 years in prison for drug trafficking, money laundering, offenses against the Treasury, and forgery and counterfeiting of currency units. His brother Álvaro López Tardón is currently serving a prison sentence in the United States, reportedly amounting to 150 years.