Alleged Guatemalan drug lord known as ‘Iceman' flown to Mckinney to face charges

Cruz Ovalle faces federal charges of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine, smuggling it into the United States.

It has been in the works for about eight years to bring Juan Carlos Cruz Ovalle to face justice in federal court. The route brought him to North Texas and McKinney National Airport.

Cruz Ovalle, also known as the Iceman in Guatemala, faces federal charges of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine, smuggling it into the United States.

He's one of four men flown in to McKinney National Airport Thursday to face charges in the Eastern Texas District Court in Plano.

“We came in on a DEA aircraft accompanying four individuals who were being extradited from Guatemala to the United States of America to face charges in the Eastern District of Texas,” Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Jay Combs said.

Combs was on that flight. He explained why they came to McKinney National Airport.

“The venue that is the place of trial has to occur in the place where they first make landfall in the United States of America,” Combs said. “So, it's important when we bring them up from whatever country we bring them from that they land first in the Eastern District.”

This isn't the first time this airport has brought in some of the accused leaders of the violent cartels.

NBC 5 Investigates previously reported how DEA and Homeland Security agents have been on the tarmac receiving these alleged cartel members.

Over the last 15 years, federal prosecutors in the Eastern District have turned courts in Plano and Sherman into go-to destinations for extraditing and trying drug lords from foreign countries.

“It's an important time in the fight against transnational organized crime, specifically about the fight against narco-terrorism,” Combs said.

Combs was part of a delegation of U.S. attorneys and prosecutors who met with the Guatemalan president right before the extradition this week. Combs said the cooperation will help the U.S. go after more than just drug traffickers.

“Corrupt politicians in Colombia and Guatemala, with the aim towards, not just shutting down the traffickers, but shutting down the networks that enable those traffickers to do their business,” Combs said.