Cuban Narc King Pleads Guilty to Drug Charge in Florida

Orlando, Florida – A notorious Cuban narc king has pleaded guilty to a massive drug charge in the Middle District of Florida. Nelson Pablo Yester-Garrido, 62, has been charged with conspiracy to distribute high-grade marijuana, facing a maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison. Sentencing is scheduled for October 22nd.

According to court documents, Yester-Garrido was a key figure in importing kilogram amounts of cocaine and other narcotics into the United States from the late 1980s until early 1997. His involvement included negotiating the purchase of a Russian diesel submarine for Colombian drug suppliers. After escaping prosecution in Florida, he fled to South Africa but eventually landed in Italy where he was arrested and extradited.

Yester-Garrido conspired with Juan Almeida, Andrew Cassara, and others to possess and distribute marijuana. The DEA began investigating this conspiracy in January 2015, leading to the indictment of three co-conspirators who were sentenced in 2018. Yester-Garrido was indicted himself in October 2017 and arrested by Italian authorities in October 2017.

In a stunning turn of events, Italian judicial authorities granted his extradition to face charges in the United States. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI conducted the investigation, with significant assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney Sean P. Shecter is prosecuting the case.

Yester-Garrido’s plea comes as a significant victory for federal law enforcement agencies that have been tirelessly pursuing international drug traffickers.