A Colombian national has admitted to conspiring to import hundreds of kilograms of cocaine into the United States, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Edgar Ruiz-Gomez, also known as ‘Gono,’ 57, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to count one of an indictment charging him with conspiracy to import five kilograms or more of cocaine. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Ruiz-Gomez held a managerial role in the conspiracy, involving more than five individuals.
He and his co-conspirators brought hundreds of kilograms of cocaine into the US from Colombia, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic from 2016 through January 2020. Ruiz-Gomez acknowledged his role in the operation, which was a major part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation.
The count to which Ruiz-Gomez pleaded guilty carries a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life in prison, and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentencing is scheduled for November 5, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and task force officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz in Newark, and special agents and task force officers with the DEA operating in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
He also thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs; the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché’s Office at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota; Colombian law enforcement authorities; and the U.S. Marshals Service for their assistance in the case.
The investigation was a part of an OCDETF operation, which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Farhana C. Melo of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit in Newark. Ruiz-Gomez’s guilty plea brings an end to a case that was extensively investigated by law enforcement agencies.
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Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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