Tampa, Florida – In a shocking turn of events, Oscar Marsiglia Barrios (54, Colombia) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine knowing and intending it to be imported into the United States.
Marsiglia Barrios faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, beginning in approximately February 2015 and continuing through on or about October 26, 2017, Marsiglia Barrios was part of a transnational criminal conspiracy that transported cocaine from Colombia to the United States.
Specifically, Marsiglia Barrios operated out of the Puerto Nuevo region of Colombia and was responsible for recruiting, hiring, and paying individuals to transport cocaine out of Colombia and into the United States in cargo ships.
Marsiglia Barrios was arrested in Colombia in August 2019 and extradited to the Middle District of Florida in March 2021.
This case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.
The U.S. Marshals Service also provided critical assistance by extraditing Oscar Marsiglia Barrios from Colombia to the Middle District of Florida.
This 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.
Marsiglia Barrios, a Colombian national, was responsible for leading a transnational criminal conspiracy that transported cocaine from Colombia to the United States. His actions demonstrate the severity of the ongoing threat to national security and the need for continued cooperation between international law enforcement agencies.
The guilty plea is a significant milestone in the investigation and prosecution of this case. The sentence will be determined by the court after considering the severity of the crime and the defendant’s culpability.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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