Evergreen Reporter

Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney has announced the dismantling of a transnational criminal organization (TCO) operating from La Guajira, located on the Venezuela/Colombia border. This group was responsible for dispatching thousands of kilograms of cocaine destined for the United States and Europe.

Key members of this organization include Socrates Gabriel Barros-Fince, known by several aliases such as "Chunchun" and "El Loco," who received a sentence of 17 years and 6 months. Cristian Camilo Cordoba-Cuesta, also known as "Cris," was sentenced to 14 years. Jorge Leonardo Diaz-Ramos, alias "40," received a sentence of 7 years and 3 months. Santander Barros-Pulido, referred to as "Pollo," was sentenced to 15 years and 8 months, while Nefer Alfonso Hinojosa-Larrada, known as "El Negrito," also received a sentence of 15 years and 8 months.

According to plea agreements, these individuals were part of an operation that sent cocaine-laden vessels to destinations like the Dominican Republic and Spain. The conspirators planned smuggling trips from the Venezuela/Colombia border and recruited crew members for these missions. It was understood among them that some shipments were intended for the United States.

The investigation led to several significant seizures totaling over 6,700 kilograms linked to this organization. These included about 932 kilograms near the Dominican Republic in August 2016; approximately 700 kilograms intercepted on a go-fast vessel in November 2016 in the Caribbean Sea; over 450 kilograms seized from another go-fast vessel in October 2018; and around 4,000 kilograms found on the M/V KARAR off Galicia's coast in April 2020.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, which aims to combat illegal immigration, eliminate cartels and TCOs, and protect communities from violent crime perpetrators.

The prosecution falls under an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Panama Express Strike Force Initiative designed to disrupt large-scale drug trafficking operations. The task force includes agents from multiple U.S. agencies alongside Colombian National Police and Spanish authorities who provided crucial support. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs played a role in extraditing defendants with Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza leading prosecution efforts from Florida's Middle District.