Indictment: Colombians trafficked cocaine to U.S.
DALLAS (AP) - A group of Colombians is accused of supplying Mexican drug cartels with cocaine in a federal indictment that authorities described Friday as a strike at the cartels’ reach in the U.S.
The indictment, returned by a Plano grand jury in October and unsealed Feb. 5, charges 25 alleged members of Colombia's Gaitan drug trafficking organization with conspiracy to transport cocaine into the U.S. and the manufacture and distribution of cocaine for importation into the U.S.
John M. Bales, the U.S. attorney for the eastern district of Texas, said investigators believe the group has moved tons of cocaine into Mexico knowing the drug would wind up on the streets of the U.S.
“This case is as much about the Mexican cartels as it is about the Gaitan organization,” he said at a news conference announcing the indictment.
The case marks the first time the Texas district has sought to prosecute individuals outside the country for their role in the drug trafficking chain, Bales said.
All of those indicted are in Colombia, and 21 have been jailed there since they were arrested Monday. Ultimately, they will be extradited to the United States. If convicted, they could face life in prison.
“We’re tired of picking off the petals,” Bales said. “We want to get to the root of the plant.”
The indictment is the product of a joint investigation by U.S. and Colombian authorities called “Operation No-Fly Zone.” Authorities contend the cocaine was moved using clandestine airstrips and, in some instances, corrupt air traffic controllers.
To date, authorities in Colombia have seized 7.5 tons of cocaine and $4.25 million in assets, Bales said.
Colombian police commander Oscar Naranjo said at the news conference that a fleet of 25 aircraft was used to move the drugs.
“After 26 months of investigation, we have impacted what is known as the invisible layer of drug trafficking,” he said.
Naranjo called the U.S.- Colombia effort “a model that the world should imitate” and said information from the case will be shared with Mexican authorities.
