Tampa, Florida – A brazen cocaine smuggling operation has been brought to its knees with the guilty plea of Anderson Bryan Lever, a Colombian national, in a U.S. federal court.
Lever, 39, pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison, a sentence that could be meted out to Lever in the coming months.
According to the plea agreement, Lever worked with others to smuggle cocaine into the United States on multiple occasions between 2009 and 2013. He dispatched cocaine-laden vessels, carrying between 550 and 1,000 kilograms of cocaine, from San Andres Island, Colombia to Honduras, where the shipments were met with bales of U.S. currency worth up to $500,000 each.
The mariners who smuggled the cocaine were paid by Lever’s co-conspirators and then returned to Colombia with the money, which was then transferred to others for eventual unlawful importation into the United States. In total, Lever’s operation successfully smuggled in excess of 10,000 kilograms of cocaine.
Lever was arrested on San Andres Island, Colombia, and subsequently extradited to the United States to face charges.
U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III praised the efforts of law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation, saying that the case is a significant blow to the nation’s cocaine supply chain.
Lever is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher F. Murray, and his extradition from Colombia was facilitated by the Office of International Affairs.
The Panama Express Strike Force, a standing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, was instrumental in uncovering the scope of Lever’s operation and bringing him to justice.
The case is a stark reminder of the ongoing threat posed by international cocaine cartels and the importance of coordinated law enforcement efforts to disrupt and dismantle these organizations.
Defendant: Anderson Bryan Lever, 39, Colombian national
Criminal Charges: Conspiring to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine on board a vessel subject to U.S. jurisdiction
City and State: Tampa, Florida
Date: Not specified
Sentence: Up to life in federal prison, with a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years
Dollar Amounts: Up to $500,000 in U.S. currency per shipment
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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