Four high-ranking members of a Colombian drug trafficking organization have been handed down stiff federal sentences after being convicted in the Eastern District of Texas. The Justice Department announced today that Jaime Gonzalo Castiblanco Cabalcante, 58, was sentenced to 360 months for conspiracy to import and manufacture cocaine for distribution.
Cabalcante’s cohorts, Julio Hernando Moya Buitrago, 49, Oscar Orlando Barrera Pineda, 37, and Roberth William Villega Rojas, 40, received sentences of 292, 292, and 235 months respectively for their roles in the conspiracy. These convictions were the result of a joint investigation by the Colombian National Police, DEA, and other agencies.
The indicted ring was responsible for sending large quantities of cocaine from Colombia to the United States via Central America and Mexico, making them significant players in the nation’s illegal drug trade. The sentencing follows a trial that took place on Oct. 19, 2012, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather Rattan, Jay Combs, and Camelia Lopez.
According to the indictment, the group used sophisticated methods to move their drugs across borders, including the use of transshipment points in Central America and Mexico. The sentences handed down today are a testament to the government’s commitment to dismantling the most serious drug trafficking organizations and ensuring justice for those affected by these crimes.
The case was investigated by a task force led by the Direccion de Investigacion Criminal e Interpol (DIJIN) of the Colombian National Police, with support from the Fiscalia General de la Nacion, Cuerpo Tecnico de Investigacion, Fuerza Aerea Colombiana, DEA, FAA, Honduran National Police, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
U.S. Attorney John M. Bales emphasized the importance of this operation in the fight against drug trafficking, stating that ‘these sentences are a powerful message to those who seek to profit from the sale of illegal drugs.’ The defendants were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone, who has been a key figure in the prosecution of organized crime.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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