Guatemala's "The Iceman," alleged drug kingpin, extradited to Texas after 8-year search, officials say

A plane arrived in North Texas Thursday night carrying a suspected drug kingpin from Central America, who federal authorities have been searching for for more than eight years, known in Guatemala as "The Iceman" or "El Hielero."

He was one of four alleged drug traffickers extradited from Guatemala by Jay Combs, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, to face charges in the U.S. 

When a Drug Enforcement Administration jet arrived at McKinney National Airport carrying Juan Carlos Cruz Ovalle, it marked the end of a nearly decade-long effort by Combs to bring him to justice. 

"It's an important day," Combs said. "It's definitely an important day. We've been trying to get Mr. Ovalle for about eight years. So today we got him and we're bringing him to justice."

The four are accused by federal authorities of operating a major criminal drug network that included corrupt mayors and politicians in Guatemala, which Combs has been working with the government there to dismantle. 

"We're interested not just in going after the drug kingpins, we've gone after a number of kingpins in Guatemala, and elsewhere around the world," Combs said. "We're also going after the corrupt politicians."

Combs was on board the extradition flight that ended with the defendants, who have already been indicted in the U.S., facing drug charges that could send them to prison for life. 

"I would say it's an extremely big deal," Combs said. "Individuals who ship cocaine into the United States have to do it through Guatemala."

From here, the four suspected traffickers will be transported by federal agents to a secure detention facility until they make their first appearance in front of a judge on Friday morning in a Plano federal courtroom.