Colombian Narcotics Kingpin Convicted in Florida

In a major blow to the Colombian drug trade, Diego Perez Henao, a/k/a ‘Diego Rastrojo,’ has pleaded guilty to participating in a decades-long conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine in the United States.

According to court documents, Perez Henao, a 42-year-old Colombian national and Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker, was extradited from Colombia in August 2013 and has been in custody since his capture in Venezuela on June 3, 2012.

Perez Henao’s guilty plea is the result of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation led by the DEA and FBI. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.

As part of his plea agreement, Perez Henao acknowledged that from 1994 until the January 2008 killing of his primary patron, North Valley Cartel head Wilber Varela, he participated in the production and/or shipment of at least 81,100 kilograms of cocaine. He also agreed that his co-conspirators used a variety of modes of transportation, including airplanes, trucks and semi-submersibles, to transport the cocaine to Mexican cartels who ultimately imported the cocaine into the United States.

Perez Henao, who faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of any term of years, is scheduled to be sentenced on June 5, 2014.

U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer stated, ‘Diego Perez Henao was the kingpin of a prolific drug cartel responsible for the production and shipment of over 80,000 kilograms of cocaine into the United States. The conviction of Perez Henao concludes one of the most significant chapters in the history of the Colombian drug trade.’

Defendant: Diego Perez Henao

Criminal Charges: Participating in a decades-long conspiracy to manufacture and distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine knowing that the cocaine would be unlawfully imported into the United States.

City and State: Miami, Florida

Exact Date: June 3, 2012 (arrest date)

Sentence: Mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of any term of years, scheduled to be sentenced on June 5, 2014.

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