WASHINGTON – A former Colombian maritime training instructor and a co-conspirator have pleaded guilty to conspiring to transport thousands of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia to the United States and other countries.
Wilson Jesus Torres-Torres, a Colombian maritime training instructor, and Baudilio Vivero-Cardenas each pleaded guilty on Dec. 30, 2010, to one count of conspiracy to violate the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act.
The indictment charged that from September 2005 to February 2009, Torres-Torres and Vivero-Cardenas were members of a Colombian drug trafficking organization based in Buenaventura, Colombia, that transported large quantities of cocaine for various other drug trafficking organizations.
The defendants admitted to using fishing vessels and ‘go-fast’ boats to transport thousands of kilograms of cocaine from various ports along the coast of Colombia to waiting transport vessels on the high seas, which would transport the cocaine to the United States and other countries.
According to court documents, the vessels involved in the conspiracy were equipped with high frequency radios, global positioning system devices, satellite phones, large amounts of fuel, and multiple outboard motors to facilitate the transport of cocaine over long distances on the high seas.
Torres-Torres faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $4 million fine, but as part of the extradition request, the United States provided assurances to the government of Colombia that it would not seek a life term in prison. Vivero-Cardenas faces up to 40 years in prison and a $2 million fine.
Sentencing for both defendants is scheduled for March 25, 2011, at 11 a.m. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Charles D. Griffith Jr., Meredith A. Mills, and Tritia L. Yuen of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section.
The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Miami Field Division; Washington, D.C., Office; Cartagena, Colombia, Resident Office; and the Special Operations Division. Significant assistance was provided by the U.S. Coast Guard in interdicting and recovering more than 21,000 kilograms of cocaine.
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Key Facts
- State: Federal
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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