Tito Aldemar Ruano Yandun, International Cocaine Distribution Conspiracy, New York 2024

Tito Aldemar Ruano Yandun, a Colombian drug kingpin known as ‘Don T,’ was sentenced to 20 years in prison for leading an international cocaine distribution conspiracy.

Ruano Yandun, 49, was sentenced on March 2024 by United States District Court Judge William F. Kuntz, II at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn.

He pleaded guilty to the charge in March 2024.

The defendant was also ordered to forfeit $1.5 million in drug proceeds.

According to the U.S. Attorney Breon Peace, the sentence punishes the defendant for leading a prolific drug trafficking organization that exported thousands of kilograms of cocaine destined for U.S. streets.

Ruano Yandun’s organization operated in southwestern Colombia and Ecuador, regularly exporting multi-ton quantities of cocaine to Central America and Mexico for eventual smuggling into the United States.

The defendant’s drug trafficking organization also trafficked cocaine on behalf of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), helping to fund the FARC’s long-running campaign to overthrow the Government of Colombia.

The conviction and sentencing of Ruano Yandun are the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA.

The defendant was extradited to the Eastern District of New York in October 2023.

The government’s case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section, with Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Wang in charge of the prosecution.

Ruano Yandun’s real name and aliases include ‘Don T,’ ‘Don Ti,’ ‘Don Tito,’ ‘Pedro Linares,’ ‘Pedro AK2,’ ‘Santos,’ ‘Don Tuma,’ ‘Viejo,’ and ‘Viejo Loco.’

The case is E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 17-CR-27 (WFK).

The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to extend their appreciation to the DEA’s office in Bogota, Colombia, the U.S. Department of State, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the Colombian National Police, and the Government of Colombia for their assistance in the investigation.

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