The leader of a transnational drug trafficking organization has been imprisoned for his involvement in an international heroin trafficking conspiracy, announced Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux, Houston Division and U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Malam Bacai Sanha Jr., 52, pleaded guilty Sept. 6, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance for the purpose of unlawful importation.

U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison has now ordered Sanha to serve an 80-month-term of imprisonment. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard Sanha was the son of the former president of Guinea-Bissau and was intending to use drug proceeds to finance his future campaign for president in 2025 and a coup in that country. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Sanha was a leader and organizer in the heroin trafficking conspiracy and was directly involved in its importation from Europe to the United States. The court also found his drug trafficking activities to be extensive.

“The expansive reach of transnational criminal networks, like the one Sanha ran, presents a serious threat to the safety and health of all communities,” said Hamdani. “Sanha and his associates intended to distribute kilograms of heroin to the United States at a time when Americans lose their lives to drug overdose every day. This prosecution represents our office’s unwavering determination, together with our U.S. and international partners, to target and bring to justice ….