The U. S. Justice Department said on Tuesday that an alleged Mexican drug lord was extradited to Texas to face charges of violating drug and racketeering statutes.

The department said in a release that Juan Jose Quintero-Payan, 68, of Guadalajara, Mexico, has been fighting extradition since his arrest after a San Antonio grand jury returned an indictment in 2002 and a warrant was issued.

After Quintero returned to San Antonio Friday, U. S. Magistrate Judge Pamela Mathy ordered that he remain in federal custody without bond pending further criminal proceedings.

The Justice Department further said that the indictment alleges Quintero led a criminal operation that spanned from South America and Mexico to the United States and the Cayman Islands from 1978 to 2002.

It was reported that he was accused of moving loads of marijuana to the United States from Mexico, amounts of up 15,000 pounds at a time, via tanker trucks. He also is accused of shipping to the United States as much as 1,540 pounds of cocaine.

It was also reported that the indictment outlined the movement of more than $20 million in U. S. currency into banks in the United States and in the Cayman Islands. The document also alleged real estate acquired in Texas and California was related to the drug enterprise's operations and included ranches, airstrips and residences. (With Inputs from Agencies)