Gerardo Gomez-Lubo, Cocaine Trafficking, Florida 2019
Colombian National Pleads Guilty to Cocaine Trafficking in Tampa
Tampa, Florida – A Colombian national has pleaded guilty to cocaine trafficking charges in a federal court in Tampa, Florida. Gerardo Gomez-Lubo, 42, also known as Francisco Niño, faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, Gomez-Lubo was part of a transnational criminal conspiracy that transported cocaine from Colombia to the United States. The conspiracy, which began in September 2017 and continued through 2019, involved the transportation of cocaine through Central America and the Caribbean, with the ultimate goal of distributing the drug in the United States.
The cocaine distributed by Gomez-Lubo and others displayed identifying symbols and marks. Those marks were found in kilograms of cocaine recovered by law enforcement in New York, Pennsylvania, and Florida. The investigation into Gomez-Lubo's activities was led by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Gomez-Lubo's co-defendant, Piero Antonio Lubo-Barros, was also indicted. Lubo-Barros was arrested in Costa Rica in January 2021, living under an assumed identity. He was extradited to the United States in March 2021 and is currently pending trial in Tampa.
The case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
The U.S. Marshals Service provided critical assistance in Gerardo Gomez-Lubo's extradition from Panama to the Middle District of Florida. The Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance with the defendant's extradition.
Gomez-Lubo is facing a maximum penalty of life in federal prison for his role in the cocaine trafficking conspiracy.
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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