Alleged Sinaloa Cartel member accused in a Miami area murder headed to federal prison

MIAMI — A woman accused of being a high-ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel — and behind a murder near Miami International Airport in 2022 — was sentenced to nine years in federal prison Thursday in connection with a methamphetamine trafficking case.

After pleading guilty, Tsvia Kol, 36, will spend almost a decade locked up. Once released, she will be required to report to a probation officer for five years, surrender to immigration for removal and seek substance abuse treatment, U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal ruled in his Fort Lauderdale courtroom.

Kol was indicted in the drug case 21 days before the shooting death of 46-year-old Julio Gonzalez, court records show. She was detained two days after the Nov. 29, 2022 murder.

Kol lured Gonzalez to room 304 of the Aladdin Hotel, 901 S. Royal Poinciana Blvd., in Miami Springs, Miami-Dade police allege. Then, she and 36-year-old Jimmy Sanchez shot the South Florida man in the head, according to an arrest warrant.

Though Kol is mentioned in the warrant, she hasn’t been charged in connection to the killing, according to court records. It’s unclear why.

Authorities also say Kol was married to a high-ranking cartel member. The cartel, formerly led by drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, is an international organized crime syndicate focused on drug trafficking and money laundering.

Prior to her arrest in the federal case, Kol admitted to her involvement in the cartel and agreed to stop trafficking drugs and cooperate with federal agents, according to court records. She was detained after being dropped as an informant, with prosecutors arguing that the Israeli national would flee the country. Israel doesn’t extradite their citizens.

Kol, described by a judge as having a “long-standing and serious dependence on meth,” previously had her sentencing postponed due to defense attorneys aiming to “resolve an unrelated matter that could have a significant effect” on the case, records indicate.

‘A tough case’

Prosecutors on Thursday agreed to reduce her sentencing threshold to anywhere from nine to 11 years. Kol was facing the possibility of spending life in prison at the time she plead guilty.

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