The U.S. Justice Department says a high-ranking member of the criminal organization known as the Gulf Cartel has been extradited to the United States from Mexico to face drug conspiracy charges.

A statement issued Monday says Aurelio Cano-Flores, also known as “Yankee” and “Yeyo,” appeared in a federal court in Washington D.C. earlier in the day and was ordered held pending trial.

Cano-Flores has been in the custody of Mexican authorities since his arrest more than two years ago. He was among 20 defendants charged with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute massive quantities of cocaine and marijuana for sale in the United States.

The indictment alleges that Cano-Flores led the Gulf Cartel's drug trafficking activities in Camargo, Mexico.