U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney
Southern District of Florida
99 NE 4 Street
Miami, FL 33132
(305) 961-9000
May 13, 2008
NEWS RELEASE :
14 MEMBERS OF
COLOMBIAN PARAMILITARY GROUP EXTRADITED TO THE UNITED STATES TO FACE
U.S. DRUG CHARGES
Fourteen alleged
members of a former paramilitary and drug-trafficking group known as
the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC), including high-ranking former
leaders, have been extradited from Colombia to the United States to
face drug trafficking charges, the Department of Justice announced today.
Defendants face charges in the District of Columbia, the Middle District
of Florida, the Southern District of Florida, the Southern District
of New York and the Southern District of Texas. Defendants will make
their initial appearances in the districts in which they are first brought
into the United States.
Indicted defendants
face charges including: conspiracy to import cocaine; conspiracy to
manufacture and distribute cocaine; possession, manufacture or distribution
of cocaine; providing material support to a designated terrorist organization;
and money laundering. As part of the extradition requests, the United
States has provided assurances to the government of Colombia that it
will not seek a life sentence for any of the defendants, but instead
will ask for a prison term of years.
"These extraditions
are yet another substantial step by the government of Colombia, in partnership
with the United States, to hold accountable those who support terrorist
organizations and send illegal drugs into this country," said Attorney
General Michael B. Mukasey. "We commend the courage of the Government
of Colombia, which recognizes that these crimes pose a serious threat
to both of our nations. With continued cooperation, we will ensure that
those who commit such crimes face justice."
"Fourteen leaders of one of the world's largest and most powerful
drug-trafficking organizations arrived in handcuffs on U.S. soil today.
They range from kingpin to bloque commanders who all used the drug trade
to finance their illegal activities and poison Americans with multi-tons
of cocaine," said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Acting
Administrator Michele M. Leonhart. "With these extraditions, President
Uribe demonstrates once again his unparalleled commitment to ridding
Colombia of the drug trade and narco-terrorist organizations."
According to the
indictments, the former AUC members facing charges are:
Nodier Giraldo-Giraldo
(District of Columbia); Charged in a superseding indictment returned
on March 2, 2005, with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine
with intent to import into the United States, aiding and abetting the
conspiracy and a forfeiture allegation.
-
Hernan Giraldo-Serna (District of Columbia); Charged in a superseding
indictment returned on March 2, 2005, with conspiracy to manufacture
and distribute cocaine with intent to import into the United States,
aiding and abetting the conspiracy and a forfeiture allegation.
-
Edwing
Mauricio Gomez-Luna (District of Columbia); Charged in a superseding
indictment returned on March 2, 2005, with conspiracy to manufacture
and distribute cocaine with intent to import into the United States,
aiding and abetting the conspiracy and a forfeiture allegation.
-
Eduardo
Enrique Vengoechea-Mola (District of Columbia); Charged in a superseding
indictment returned on March 2, 2005, with conspiracy to manufacture
and distribute cocaine with intent to import into the United States,
aiding and abetting the conspiracy and a forfeiture allegation.
-
Martin
Peñaranda-Osario (District of Columbia); Charged in a superseding
indictment returned on March 2, 2005, with conspiracy to manufacture
and distribute cocaine with intent to import into the United States,
distribution of cocaine with the intent to import into the United
States, aiding and abetting that offense and a forfeiture allegation.
-
Rodrigo
Tovar-Pupo, a/k/a "Jorge 40" (District of Columbia); Charged
in a superseding indictment returned on March 2, 2005, with conspiracy
to manufacture and distribute cocaine with intent to import into the
United States, aiding and abetting the conspiracy and a forfeiture
allegation.
-
Salvatore
Mancuso-Gomez (District of Columbia); Charged in a superseding indictment
returned on Sept. 17, 2002, and unsealed Sept. 24, 2002, with conspiracy
to manufacture and distribute cocaine with intent to import into the
United States, aiding and abetting that offense and a forfeiture allegation.
-
Juan
Carlos Sierra-Ramirez (District of Columbia); Charged in an indictment
returned on Sept. 17, 2002, and unsealed Sept. 24, 2002, with conspiracy
to manufacture and distribute cocaine with intent to import into the
United States, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine
on board a vessel subject to U.S. jurisdiction, possession with intent
to distribute cocaine on board a vessel subject to U.S. jurisdiction,
aiding and abetting those offenses, and a forfeiture allegation.
-
Diego
Fernando Murillo-Bejarano, a/k/a "Don Berna" (Southern District
of New York); Charged in a superseding indictment filed July 12, 2004,
and unsealed on July 22, 2004, with a dual object narcotics conspiracy:
to import cocaine into the United States, and to distribute cocaine,
knowing and intending that it would be imported into the United States.
He is also charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering.
-
Diego
Alberto Ruiz-Arroyave (Southern District of Texas); Charged in a superseding
indictment returned on Oct. 14, 2004, and unsealed on June 28, 2006,
with conspiracy to provide material support and resources to the AUC.
The defendant is also named in a forfeiture allegation.
-
Ramiro
Vanoy-Murillo, (Southern District of Florida); Charged in a fourth
superseding indictment filed on Nov. 18, 1999, with conspiracy to
distribute cocaine; conspiracy to import of cocaine into the United
States, and money laundering conspiracy.
-
Francisco
Zuluaga-Lindo, (Southern District of Florida); Charged in a fourth
superseding indictment filed on Nov. 18, 1999, with conspiracy to
distribute cocaine, conspiracy to import of cocaine into the United
States, and money laundering conspiracy.
-
Guillermo
Perez-Alzate (Middle District of Florida); Charged in an indictment
returned on Dec. 11, 2002, and unsealed on May 13, 2008, with conspiracy
to import cocaine into the United States, conspiracy to manufacture
and distribute cocaine knowing that it would be imported into the
United States, and a forfeiture allegation.
-
Manual Enrique Torregrosa-Castro (Middle District of Florida); Charged
in an indictment filed May 3, 2007, with conspiracy to distribute
cocaine, conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, and
two forfeiture allegations.
An indictment is
a formal charging document notifying the defendant of his charges. All
persons charged in an indictment are presumed innocent until proven
guilty.
On May 7, 2008,
Carlos Mario Jimenez-Naranjo, a/k/a Macaco, was extradited from Colombia
to the United States to face drug trafficking charges in the District
of Columbia and the Southern District of Florida. Before his arrest,
Jimenez-Naranjo was allegedly one of the top leaders of the AUC.
The Department
of Justice is pleased that these individuals will also face justice
in the United States, and remains committed to working with the Government
of Colombia to ensure that the Justice and Peace Process is fully implemented.
Victims participating in this process can use existing legal mechanisms
to access the defendants. Colombia and the United States cooperate extensively
via multilateral legal assistance agreements and conventions, as well
as the letters rogatory and letter request processes.
The cases in the
District of Columbia will be prosecuted by attorneys assigned to the
Criminal Division's Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS). The
cases in the Middle District of Florida, the Southern District of Florida,
the Southern District of New York and the Southern District of Texas
will be prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for each of the districts.
The investigations in these cases were led by the U.S. DEA and the FBI,
with significant assistance provided by law enforcement in Colombia.
The extraditions of all the defendants resulted from the cooperative
efforts of the government of Colombia, the Colombian Fiscal General,
NDDS, the Criminal Division's Office of International Affairs, the U.S.
Attorneys' Offices involved in the cases and the U.S. Department of
State.
A copy of this
press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's
Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website
of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov
or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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