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Colombia's most dangerous trafficker after Escobar, the US sentences the drug lord to 45 years in prison

2023-08-09 12:41:15Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Colombia's most dangerous trafficker after Escobar, the US sentences the
Dairo Antonio Úsuga

A court in the United States of America sentenced the drug trafficker, Dairo Antonio Úsuga, head of one of the most dangerous drug cartels in Colombia, to 45 years in prison.

Úsuga, who was once Colombia's most wanted drug lord, also known as Otoniel, was a notorious cocaine trafficker who led one of Colombia's most powerful gangs for 9 years.

He pleaded guilty to drug smuggling and running a criminal organization.

During his sentencing hearing on Tuesday, Úsuga said he was sorry for his actions.

"I apologize to the governments of the United States and Colombia and to the victims of the crimes I committed," said the 51-year-old.

Prosecutors had described him as "the most important Colombian drug trafficker since Medellín cartel leader Pablo Escobar."

According to US records, Otoniel was able to send about 100,000 kilograms of cocaine to American soil.

Usuga is also considered one of the most violent criminals of recent decades.

He was arrested in 2021 and extradited last year to the US to face drug trafficking charges.

His lawyers asked for a sentence of no more than 25 years. They argued that his upbringing in rural poverty, surrounded by guerrilla warfare, led him to a life of crime.

But Judge Dora Irizarry rejected those arguments, saying her upbringing in a South Bronx apartment complex surrounded by drugs and violence did not lead her down a similar path.

Úsuga has handed over $216m (£170m) in drug proceeds as part of his guilty plea.

He was the leader of the "Gulf Clan" cartel in Colombia, which is one of the most powerful and brutal gangs in the country.

The gang, which operates in many provinces and has extensive international connections, is engaged in drug, human smuggling, illegal gold mining and extortion.

This clan controls many of the routes used to smuggle drugs from Colombia to the US, and even as far as Russia.


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