SUBJECT 1.
Age: 40
Citizenship: Venezuela
Education: high school
Ethnicity: Venezuelan
Drug use: some marijuana and cocaine use
First year known smuggling: 1979
Last year known smuggling: 1988
Estimated number of trips: over 50
Number of times caught: 1
Preferred method, route, role: vessel, airplane; Colombia to Miami, FL, Tampa, FL;
transportation manager
Typical load size: 400–500 kilos
Charge: Conspiracy to Import Cocaine, Distribution of Cocaine
How caught: undercover operation (DEA)
Sentence length: 30 years
Notes: Current charge–1st U.S. arrest and conviction (age 28)
SUBJECT 2.
Age: 46
Citizenship: U.S. resident alien
Education: some college
Ethnicity: Cuban
Drug use: social cocaine use
First year known smuggling: 1972
Last year known smuggling: 1991
Estimated number of trips: 200
Number of times caught: 1
Preferred method, route, role: private airplane; Colombia to Miami, FL, Mexico City, Mexico;
body-guard, transporter, financier, pilot
Typical load size: 5000 kilos
Charge: Conspiracy to Import Cocaine
How caught: cooperating defendant
Sentence length: 27 years
Notes: 6 prior U.S. indictments, 3 prior non-U.S. arrests (Nassau, Peru, Colombia), 1st U.S. arrest 1979 (marijuana possession), 1st U.S. conviction 1982 (marijuana possession—3 years)
SUBJECT 3.
Age: 48
Citizenship: U.S.
Education: college
Ethnicity: Cuban
Drug use: unknown
First year known smuggling: 1980 (warehousing work), 1988 (1st heavy involvement in drug
trafficking)
Last year known smuggling: 1995
Estimated number of trips: refused to say (more than 1)
Number times caught: 1
Preferred method, route, role: private vessel; Bahamas and Puerto Rico to Florida; transportation
manager, oversaw boat captains
Typical load size: 700–800 kilos (Bahamas), 1000–1500 kilos (Puerto Rico)
Charge: Importation of Cocaine, Money Laundering
How caught: undercover operation
Sentence length: 30 years
Notes: 2 prior arrests (served time in 1988 for Fraud)
SUBJECT 4.
Age: 60
Citizenship: U.S.
Education: some college
Ethnicity: Cuban
Drug use: daily cocaine, marijuana, and mescaline use
First year known smuggling: 1988
Last year known smuggling: 1988
Estimated number of trips: 1
Number of times caught: 1
Preferred method, route, role: private vessel, private airplane; airdrops—private airplane to
Bahamas, vessel to U.S.; oversaw smuggling operation
Typical load size: 630 kilos (amount involved in the instant offense)
Charge: Conspiracy to Import Cocaine, Possession, Intent to Distribute Cocaine
How caught: confidential informant, undercover operation
Sentence length: 31 years, 3 months
Notes: 4 U.S. arrests (3 drug related), 2 non-U.S. arrests in Cuba (political arrests), first drug related arrest: 1982 (criminal sale of narcotics)
SUBJECT 5.
Age: 43
Citizenship: Cuban
Education: high school
Ethnicity: Cuban
Drug use: unknown
First year known smuggling: 1976
Last year known smuggling: 1993
Estimated number of trips: more than 50
Number of times caught: 2
Preferred method, route, role: private vessel; Colombia to the Bahamas to Miami, FL; boat
captain (tasked with constructing hidden compartments on boats)
Typical load size: 550 kilos (amount involved in the instant offense)
Charge: Conspiracy to Import Cocaine
How caught: U.S. Coast Guard
Sentence length: 8 years
Notes: 2 prior U.S. arrests (1st was drug smuggling offense, 1984—Conspiracy to Import
Marijuana and Intent to Possess Marijuana), 1 prior non-U.S. arrest (non-drug related)
SUBJECT 6.
Age: 52
Citizenship: Cuban
Education: high school (GED)
Ethnicity: Cuban
Drug use: heavy, primarily cocaine use
First year known smuggling: 1973
Last year known smuggling: 1996
Estimated number of trips: 15–20
Number of times caught: 2
Preferred method, route, role: private vessels (fishing vessels and sailboats); transport from the
Bahamas to Miami, FL; boat captain, transporter
Typical load size: 700–1000 kilos
Charge: Conspiracy to Import Cocaine
How caught: DEA investigation, confidential informant
Sentence length: 17 ½ years
Notes: 2 prior U.S. arrests (cocaine possession 1990—no conviction), 1 non-U.S. arrest
(Colombia, non-drug related)
SUBJECT 7.
Age: 64
Citizenship: U.S.
Education: 6th grade
Ethnicity: Cuban
Drug use: unknown
First year known smuggling: 1977 (money laundering)
Last year known smuggling: 1991
Estimated number of trips: more than 1
Number of times caught: 1
Preferred method, route, role: commercial (containerized) vessel, commercial (passenger)
airplane; vessel from Venezuela to Puerto Rico, airplane from Puerto Rico to Miami, FL; money
launderer
Typical load size: 8,000 kilos
Charge: Conspiracy to Import Cocaine
How caught: arrested in Uruguay, extradited to U.S. on a money laundering charge
Sentence length: 30 years, 5 months
Notes: first arrest, worked for high ranking members of the Cali Cartel (Santacruz Londono)
SUBJECT 8.
Age: 50
Citizenship: Colombian
Education: high school
Ethnicity: Colombian
Drug use: heavy, primarily cocaine use
First year known smuggling: 1978
Last year known smuggling: 1996
Estimated number of trips: unknown (more than 1)
Number of times caught: 1
Preferred method, route, role: private vessel (banana boat); transport from Turbo, Colombia to
Bridgeport, CT; transporter, scuba-diver
Typical load size: approximately 40 kilos
Charge: Conspiracy to Import Cocaine
How caught: Connecticut police department
Sentence length: 17 ½ years
Notes: Current charge—only arrest, no non-U.S. arrests.
SUBJECT 9.
Age: 33
Citizenship: Colombian
Education: some college
Ethnicity: Colombian
Drug use: unknown
First year known smuggling: 1993
Last year known smuggling: 1993
Estimated number of trips: 1
Number of times caught: 1
Preferred method, route, role: private vessel (sailboat); Colombia to Tampa, FL; transporter,
broker
Typical load size: 176 kilos (amount involved in the instant offense)
Charge: Conspiracy to Import Cocaine, Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine
How caught: confidential informant, cooperating defendant
Sentence length: 17 years, 5 months
Notes: No prior arrests, claims he was unaware of the narcotics he was transporting
SUBJECT 10.
Age: 34
Citizenship: US resident alien
Education: high school
Ethnicity: Cuban
Drug use: unknown
First year known smuggling: late 1980’s
Last year known smuggling: 1993
Estimated number of trips: 4
Number of times caught: 1
Preferred method, route, role: private vessel (sailboat); Caribbean to Tampa, FL; oversaw
transportation arrangements
Typical load size: 300 kilos the first trip, 5000 kilos the last trip (instant offense)
Charge: Conspiracy to Import Cocaine
How caught: undercover U.S. Customs agent
Sentence length: 17 ½ years
Notes: 2 U.S. arrests (1st arrest—1985, carrying a concealed weapon), no non-U.S. arrests
SUBJECT 11.
Age: 41
Citizenship: U.S.
Education: high school
Ethnicity: Haitian
Drug use: social cocaine and marijuana use
First year known smuggling: 1993
Last year known smuggling: 1997
Estimated number of trips: 10
Number of times caught: 1
Preferred method, route, role: commercial air; Haiti to Miami, FL and New York, NY; managed
passenger-carry operations
Typical load size: approximately 20 kilos (20 kilos per suitcase, most ever: 6 suitcases),
approximately 800 kilos total
Charge: Importation and Distribution of Cocaine
How caught: unknown
Sentence length: 19½ years (departure to 48 months)
SUBJECT 12.
Age: 38
Citizenship: unknown
Education: some college
Ethnicity: Venezuelan
Drug use: unknown
First year known smuggling: 1991
Last year known smuggling: 1991
Estimated number of trips: 1
Number of times caught: 1
Preferred method, route, role: private air; liquid bottles of cocaine transported from Venezuela to
Florida; supervisor
Typical load size: 5.5 kilos (conspiracy charge involved over 600 kilos of cocaine)
Charge: Conspiracy to Import Cocaine
How caught: undercover operation (DEA)
Sentence length: 27 years, 3 months
Notes: No arrests outside the U.S., 2 concurrent charges of Conspiracy to Import Cocaine and
International Smuggling of Cocaine
SUBJECT 13.
Age: 48
Citizenship: unknown
Education: unknown
Ethnicity: Cuban
Drug use: unknown
First year known smuggling: unknown
Last year known smuggling: unknown
Estimated number of trips: 1
Number of times caught: 1
Preferred method, route, role: unknown method; Panama to Miami; unknown role
Typical load size: 59 kilos (amount involved in the instant offense)
Charge: Conspiracy to Import Cocaine
How caught: undercover operation (DEA)
Sentence length: 19 years, 6 months
Notes: No non-U.S. arrests, current charge only drug trafficking charge, claims to have had no
involvement in the smuggling event
SUBJECT 14.
Age: 37
Citizenship: Cuban
Education: 11th
Ethnicity: Cuban
Drug use: occasional cocaine use
First year known smuggling: 1980
Last year known smuggling: 1994
Estimated number of trips: 50
Number of times caught: 1
Preferred method, route, role: private airplane, private vessel (go-fasts); airdrops in the Florida
Keys; transporter
Typical load size: 800 kilos
Charge: Conspiracy to Import Cocaine and Conspiracy to Import Marijuana
How caught: cooperating defendant
Sentence length: 15 years (originally 30 years)
Notes: Current charge—first arrest, no non-U.S. arrests
SUBJECT 15.
Age: 48
Citizenship: Peruvian
Education: high school
Ethnicity: Peruvian
Drug use: moderate cocaine use
First year known smuggling: 1996
Last year known smuggling: 1996
Estimated number of trips: 1
Number of times caught: 1
Preferred method, route, role: commercial airplane; body-carry on commercial airliner to Miami,
FL; transportation supervisor
Typical load size: 2 kilos
Charge: Conspiracy to Import and Possess Cocaine
How caught: confidential informant
Sentence length: 16 years and 3 months
Notes: First U.S. arrest, no prior non-U.S. arrest history, possession of loaded firearm during
instant offense
SUBJECT 16.
Age: 55
Citizenship: Cuban, U.S. resident alien
Education: 6th grade
Drug use: moderate cocaine and marijuana use
Ethnicity: Cuban
First year known smuggling: 1975
Last year known smuggling: 1991
Estimated number of trips: 40–50
Number of times caught: 1
Preferred method, route, role: commercial (containerized) vessel; shipments from Colombia to
Miami, FL; broker, organizer
Typical load size: 500 kilos (amount involved in the instant offense)
Charge: Conspiracy to Import Cocaine
How caught: undercover operation (DEA)
Sentence length: life (reduced to 20 years)
Notes: 3 prior arrests in U.S. (others were drug related, but not trafficking charges), no non-US arrests
SUBJECT 17.
Age: 42
Citizenship: Colombian, U.S. resident alien until 1990
Education: college
Drug use: social cocaine use
Ethnicity: Colombian
First year known smuggling: 1978
Last year known smuggling: 1990
Estimated number of trips: 85
Number of times caught: 1
Preferred method, route, role: private vessel (sailboat), private plane; Colombia to Caribbean
(airdrop), then to Miami, FL; organizer
Typical load size: approximately 1000 kilos
Charge: Conspiracy to Import Cocaine
How caught: undercover operation (DEA)
Sentence length: life (reduce to 10 years)
Notes: No priors arrests
SUBJECT 18.
Age: 36
Citizenship: Colombian
Education: some college
Drug use: unknown
Ethnicity: Colombian
First year known smuggling: 1990
Last year known smuggling: 1991
Estimated number of trips: 1
Number of times caught: 1
Preferred method, route, role: commercial vessel; Colombia to Venezuela to Miami; operated as
front man for import/ export business in Miami, FL
Typical load size: 500 kilos (amount involved in the instant offense)
Charge: Conspiracy to Import and Possess Cocaine
How caught: U.S. law enforcement detected drugs on board vessel
Sentence length: 27 years
Notes: First U.S. arrest, no arrests outside the U.S., incomplete pre-sentencing report information
SUBJECT 19.
Age: 56
Citizenship: Colombian
Education: some college
Ethnicity: Colombian
Drug use: none
First year known smuggling: 1983
Last year known smuggling: 1991
Estimated number of trips: more than 16
Number of times caught: 1
Preferred method, route, role: commercial airplane (cargo plane), commercial vessel
(containerized); airplane from Colombia to Honduras, vessel to Miami, FL; hired to receive drugs
in Miami, FL and deliver them to distributors
Typical load size: 700 kilos (amount involved in the instant offense)
Charge: Conspiracy to Import Cocaine
How caught: confidential informant
Sentence length: 15 years
Notes: No prior arrests
SUBJECT 20.
Age: 54
Citizenship: Cuban
Education: 5th grade
Ethnicity: Cuban
Drug use: some cocaine and marijuana use
First year known smuggling: 1979
Last year known smuggling: 1996
Estimated number of trips: 10 trips marijuana, 5 trips cocaine
Number of times caught: 3 (2 marijuana, 1 cocaine)
Preferred method, route, role: private vessel; Bahamas to Miami, FL; boat captain
Typical load size: 600–800 kilos
Charge: Conspiracy to Import Cocaine
How caught: U.S. Customs Services
Sentence length: 28 years, 9 months
SUBJECT 21.
Age: 56
Citizenship: U.S.
Education: 2 years of college
Ethnicity: American
Drug use: cocaine, marijuana, and acid use
First year known smuggling: 1983
Last year known smuggling: 1993
Estimated number of trips: 10
Number of times caught: 1
Preferred method, route, role: private vessel (23-foot Seabird); Bahamas to warehouse in Jupiter,
FL; delivery person
Typical load size: 200–400 kilos
Charge: Conspiracy to Import Cocaine, Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine, Intent to Distribute
Cocaine
How caught: confidential witness
Sentence length: 25½ years
Notes: No prior arrests
SUBJECT 22.
Age: 41
Citizenship: U.S.
Education: 5th grade
Ethnicity: Puerto Rican
Drug use: none
First year known smuggling: 1991
Last year known smuggling: 1991
Estimated number of trips: 1
Number of times caught: 1
Preferred method, route, role: unknown method; smuggling into Puerto Rico; unknown role
Typical load size: unknown
Charge: Possession of Cocaine, Intent to Distribute Cocaine
How caught: undercover operation (U.S. Customs Service)
Sentence length: 15 years
Notes: Claims he had no knowledge of any narcotics operation
SUBJECT 23.
Age: 70
Citizenship: U.S.
Education: 6th grade
Ethnicity: American
Drug use: none
First year known smuggling: 1995
Last year known smuggling: 1995
Estimated number of trips: 1
Number of times caught: 1
Preferred method, route, role: private vessel; Colombia to Key West, FL; off-loader, driver for
principals
Typical load size: 2200 kilos (amount involved in the instant offense)
Charge: Conspiracy to Import Cocaine
How caught: confidential informant, U.S. Customs Service
Sentence length: 27 years, 3 months
Notes: No prior U.S. arrests—former political prisoner in Cuba
SUBJECT 24.
Age: 32
Citizenship: U.S.
Education: some graduate school (medicine)
Ethnicity: American
Drug use: some marijuana use
First year known smuggling: 1992
Last year known smuggling: 1994
Estimated number of trips: 30–40
Number of times caught: 1
Preferred method, route, role: commercial airlines; Colombia to Miami, FL; money launderer
Typical load size: 5–6 kilos
Charge: Conspiracy to Import Cocaine, Conspiracy to Possess and Intent to Distribute Cocaine
How caught: controlled delivery
Sentence length: 18½ years
Notes: 3 prior arrests, 2 breaking and entering charges (no convictions)
SUBJECT 25.
Age: 54
Citizenship: U.S.
Education: college
Ethnicity: Cuban
Drug use: some cocaine use
First year known smuggling: 1976
Last year known smuggling: 1995
Estimated number of trips: 15–20
Number of times caught: 1
Preferred method, route, role: commercial vessel (freighter); through Caribbean (Aruba) to
Holland; oversaw shipments, owned vessels, transportation manager
Typical load size: 300 kilos (amount involved in the instant offense)
Charge: Conspiracy to Import Cocaine, Intent to Distribute
How caught: U.S. Coast Guard
Sentence length: 27 years
Notes: 1 arrest other than the instant offense, transporting illegal immigrants from Cuba to the
U.S. (1981)
SUBJECT 26.
Age: 35
Citizenship: U.S.
Education: high school
Ethnicity: Cuban
Drug use: cocaine and marijuana use
First year known smuggling: 1981
Last year known smuggling: 1994
Estimated number of trips: 60
Number of times caught: 1; 3 later indictments in connection with separate smuggling ventures
Preferred method, route, role: private vessel; Bahamas to Florida; owned 30 foot open
fishermen’s boat, transporter
Typical load size: 700–1000 kilos
Charge: Conspiracy to Possess and Intent to Distribute Cocaine
How caught: undercover operation
Sentence length: 30 years
Notes: 1980—failure to appear in court for a traffic ticket.
SUBJECT 27.
Age: 49
Citizenship: unknown
Education: unknown
Ethnicity: unknown
Drug use: none
First year known smuggling: 1996
Last year known smuggling: 1997
Estimated number of trips: 1
Number of times caught: 1
Preferred method, route, role: commercial vessel (freighter), carrying cocaine from Colombia to
Florida; pick up and delivery man
Typical load size: 800–1000 kilos (amount involved in the instant offense)
Charge: Conspiracy to Import Cocaine
How caught: confidential informant
Sentence length: life
Notes: No priors arrests—instant offense was ‘dry conspiracy’ (no narcotics recovered)
SUBJECT 28.
Age: 32
Citizenship: Bahamian
Education: high school
Ethnicity: Bahamian
Drug use: none
First year known smuggling: 1997
Last year known smuggling: 1997
Estimated number of trips: 1
Number of times caught: 1
Preferred method, route, role: private vessel (33 foot open fishing boat); Bahamas to West Palm
Beach, FL; broker, organizer, boat captain
Typical load size: 480 kilos (amount involved in the instant offense)
Charge: Conspiracy to Import Cocaine, Possess with Intent to Distribute
How caught: confidential informant (DEA)
Sentence length: life
Notes: No prior arrests
SUBJECT 29.
Age: 69
Citizenship: U.S.
Education: some college
Ethnicity: unknown
Drug use: some cocaine and marijuana use
First year known smuggling: 1976 (marijuana), 1988 (first cocaine smuggling trip)
Last year known smuggling: 1990
Estimated number of trips: 10–20
Number of times caught: 2
Preferred method, route, role: private vessel (31 foot open fishing boat); from the Bahamas to
Florida; organizer of operation
Typical load size: 500 kilos
Charge: Conspiracy to Import Cocaine
How caught: confidential informant
Sentence length: 30 years
Notes: 1 prior trafficking arrest, judge threw the case out, 4 indictments related to current charge
SUBJECT 30.
Age: 61
Citizenship: U.S.
Education: college
Ethnicity: unknown
Drug use: crack cocaine use
First year known smuggling: 1976
Last year known smuggling: 1991
Estimated number of trips: 10–15 times
Number of times caught: 1
Preferred method, route, role: private air; Colombia to Miami, FL; broker, transporter
Typical load size: 2159 kilos (amount involved in the instant arrest)
Charge: Conspiracy to Import Cocaine and Marijuana
How caught: confidential informant
Sentence length: life
Notes: 2 drug arrests, first was for sale of one kilo of cocaine
SUBJECT 31.
Age: 61
Citizenship: Colombian
Education: 8th grade
Ethnicity: Colombian
Drug use: some cocaine and heavy marijuana use
First year known smuggling: 1974
Last year known smuggling: 1995
Estimated number of trips: once every two months, approximately 80 times total
Number of times caught: 3
Preferred method, route, role: commercial vessel (cargo ship); from Colombia to New Jersey;
transporter, moved drugs to/ within the US
Typical load size: 180 kilos (amount involved in the instant offense)
Charge: Conspiracy to Import Cocaine
How caught: confidential informant
Sentence length: 30 years
Notes: 2 prior drug smuggling arrests, ages 35, 37
SUBJECT 32.
Age: 40
Citizenship: Colombian
Education: unknown
Ethnicity: Colombian
Drug use: unknown
First year known smuggling: 1991
Last year known smuggling: 1991
Estimated number of trips: 1
Number of times caught: 1
Preferred method, route, role: commercial vessel (cargo ship); from Colombia to Philadelphia,
PA; organizer of operation
Typical load size: 3000 kilos (amount involved in the instant offense)
Charge: Conspiracy to Import Cocaine, Intent to Possess and Distribute Cocaine
How caught: undercover operation
Sentence length: life
Notes: No prior arrests
SUBJECT 33.
Age: 53
Citizenship: U.S.
Education: some college
Ethnicity: Puerto Rican
Drug use: some cocaine and marijuana use
First year known smuggling: 1970’s
Last year known smuggling: 1994
Estimated number of trips: refused to say, more than 1
Number of times caught: 1
Preferred method, route, role: private vessels; airdrops in the Caribbean; broker, leader of
operation
Typical load size: 500 pounds of marijuana
Charge: Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine; Intent to Distribute Cocaine
How caught: undercover operation
Sentence length: life
Notes: dry conspiracy
SUBJECT 34.
Age: 40
Citizenship: U.S.
Education: college
Ethnicity: Puerto Rican
Drug use: some cocaine and marijuana use
First year known smuggling: 1980s
Last year known smuggling: 1992
Estimated number of trips: 15–18
Number of times caught: 1
Preferred method, route, role: private vessel; Colombia to Puerto Rico; contact person for
Colombian brokers
Typical load size: 200 kilos (amount involved in the instant offense)
Charge: Conspiracy to Import and Intent to Possess and Distribute Cocaine
How caught: confidential informant, law enforcement arrested subject after co-conspirators were
arrested in Hong Kong
Sentence length: 20 years
Last Updated: March 4, 2002
