SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — Mexican drug lord Servando Gómez Martínez, aka “La Tuta,” asked a judge this week to stop his extradition to the United States.
Gómez Martínez is currently serving time in a Mexican prison.
He first rose to fame while teaching in the state of Michoacán when he organized a group of community members to stand up to Los Zetas, an ultra-violent cartel in the region that was extorting residents and running drugs through the area.
In the process, prosecutors say the former school teacher became a criminal himself while starting his own cartel known as the Knights of Templar.
People who knew him testified at his trial that Gómez Martínez became disillusioned as a teacher and the low wages he was making when he decided to turn to a life of crime as a way to better his life.
In 2001, “La Tuta” became one of the most sought-after criminals by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and its counterparts in Mexico.
He was infamous for organizing human sacrifices in front of his followers as a way to maintain order and fear within his ranks.
“La Tuta” was also known for using Tarot cards to help him decide whether to murder someone or what organizations to go after.
In 2015, he was arrested but wasn’t convicted for another seven years.
Gómez Martínez was sentenced to 47 years in prison for running a drug organization and trafficking narcotics.
A decision is expected in the coming weeks about his pending extradition to the U.S.