The one who was the most feared narco-terrorist in Colombia “acknowledged having led one of the largest and most feared drug cartels.”
Three years after his extradition to the United States, the “brutal” Colombian drug lord and paramilitary leader Daniel Rendón Herrera, known as “Don Mario”, pleaded guilty in a US court to conspiring to provide material support to a terrorist organization. and to introduce at least 74 tons of drugs to this country.
Don Mario “pleaded guilty to participating in a criminal enterprise and conspiring to provide material support for a certain foreign terrorist organization” that “brutally killed, kidnapped and tortured rival drug traffickers and civilians,” the court said in a statement. .
The 56-year-old Colombian, who in April 2018, a few days after his extradition to the United States, had pleaded not guilty, faces a minimum of 20 years in prison or life in prison in the worst case scenario, and will have to pay a compensation of 45 million dollars and a fine of 2.25 million.
The one who was the most feared narco-terrorist in Colombia “acknowledged having led one of the largest and most feared drug cartels and flooded the streets of the United States with cocaine,” according to prosecutor Breon Peace, quoted in the statement.
According to the indictment, Don Mario “supervised the operations of the paramilitary cartel that carried out kidnappings, torture and murders.”
The US government has accused him of two crimes since 2015: a criminal enterprise continues to enter several tons of drugs into its territory via Mexico and Central America between 2003 and 2014, and the use of firearms for drug trafficking.
But since he was extradited for the first crime, he can only be tried on this charge.
Rendón Herrera led the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), a paramilitary group and drug cartel that persecuted guerrillas from the Colombian Armed Forces (FARC), and founded the Los Ubareños cartel, also known as the Clan Usuga and Clan del Golfo, the most powerful drug trafficking organization in Colombia.
In 1997, the United States designated the AUC as a terrorist organization.
This paramilitary guerrilla lived off the “tax” on cocaine that passed through the areas it controlled.
In 2006, several members of the AUC laid down their arms as part of the Peace and Justice process of the government of former President Álvaro Uribe (2002-2010) in exchange for reduced sentences.
But Randón Herrera, instead of accepting the peace plan, once again mobilized the AUC under the name of the Urabeños, who continued to finance themselves with drug trafficking taxes.
Arrested on April 19, 2009, when he directed 16 “blocks” or territories in Colombia as well as thousands of armed paramilitaries, Rendón Herrera also accepted responsibility for having introduced at least 73.6 tons of drugs to the United States through Mexico and Central America.
They also employed hitmen to commit assassinations that perpetuated their power, according to the prosecution.
Despite decades of fighting drug trafficking, Colombia remains the world’s leading supplier of cocaine and the United States the largest consumer. (I)
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