Latin America
Colombia Cocaine Cartel's Aparicio-Lenis Extradited to U.S.
Oct. 21 (Bloomberg) -- A leader of the North Valle Cartel, one of Colombia's most powerful cocaine trafficking organizations, was extradited to the U.S. to face racketeering and drug charges, the U.S.Justice Department said.
Jairo Aparicio-Lenis, who arrived in Florida late yesterday from Colombia, is scheduled to be arraigned in federal court in Washington today. He was charged by a federal grand jury in April 2004 with violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and distributing billions of dollars of cocaine, knowing it would be sent to the U.S.
Aparicio-Lenis laundered cocaine proceeds of the cartel, which operated in the Norte Valle del Cauca region of Colombia and the cities of Cali and Buenaventura, as well as Mexico and the U.S., prosecutors said. The North Valle cartel allegedly exported more than 1.2 million pounds of cocaine, worth over $10 billion, to the U.S. since 1990.
The extradition ``demonstrates the commitment of the U.S. and Colombia to work together to end the flow of illegal drugs,'' said U.S. Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales in a statement. ``We will continue pursuing those who would bring illegal drugs into this country, regardless of where they may be.''
North Valle Cartel members allegedly murdered rival drug traffickers and buyers who failed to pay for cocaine, as well as cartel members whose loyalty was suspect.
In order to protect its distribution routes and cocaine laboratories, the cartel employed Autodefenses Unidas de Colombia, an illegal armed groups listed as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department, according to court papers.
``As one of the north valle cartel's chief money launderers, Aparicio- Lenis enabled the cartel to flourish with millions of dollars in blood money,'' said DEA Administrator Karen P. Tandy. ``Now, through his extradition, he will face justice on American soil.''
If convicted, Aparicio-Lenis faces a maximum sentence of 20 years to life imprisonment on the cocaine-importation charges and 20 years in prison for the RICO charge.
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