LawFuel.com – American Law Newswire
PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the
Southern District of New York, and JOHN P. GILBRIDE, the Special
Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Division of the Drug
Enforcement Administration, announced today that JORGE MARIO
PAREDES-CORDOVA (“PAREDES”), designated by the United States
Department of Justice as one of the world’s most significant drug
kingpins, was found guilty on charges of conspiracy to import and
distribute cocaine.
PAREDES was charged in a two-count Indictment with
conspiring to import ton-quantities of Colombian cocaine into the
United States through Central America and Mexico, and to
distribute the cocaine in major U.S. cities including New York.
At trial, the Government offered evidence that PAREDES imported
265 kilograms of cocaine that was seized in Pennsylvania en route
to New York and invested in additional ton-quantities of cocaine
concealed in containers that were transported by cargo ship from
Panama to Mexico. In Mexico, the cocaine was unloaded and
transported by land to the U.S.-Mexico border, where it was
imported by a Mexican drug kingpin. A shipment of 1,347
kilograms of cocaine, in which PAREDES invested 347 kilograms,
was seized in Panama City by Panamanian Judicial Police in July
2005.
PAREDES was captured in Honduras while living there
under a false identity in May 2008, and transferred to the United
States for prosecution. Prior to his capture, PAREDES had been
designated by the United States Department of Justice to the
Consolidated Priority Organization Target (“CPOT”) list, a list
of the most powerful and dangerous narcotics traffickers in the
world.
Mr. BHARARA praised the outstanding investigative
efforts of the DEA’s New York Field Division, which led the
investigation, and thanked the DEA’s Offices in Houston, Colorado
Springs, Miami, Guatemala City, Panama City and Mexico City, and
the DEA’s Special Operations Division for their crucial roles in
the investigation. Mr. BHARARA also thanked the United States
Marshals Service, the Department of Homeland Security’s
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the United States Attorney’s
Offices in Houston, Miami and Colorado Springs, the United States
Department of Justice’s Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Section,
the United Nations Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala
(“CICIG”), and law enforcement authorities in Guatemala and
Honduras for their assistance during the investigation and trial.
Mr. BHARARA stated: “Today’s guilty verdict brings to
an end Jorge Mario Paredes-Cordova’s nearly decade-long career in
drug trafficking that spanned the Western Hemisphere. This
Office will continue its efforts to pursue the world’s most
prolific and dangerous drug traffickers wherever they may be. We
are grateful to our partners in law enforcement here and abroad
for their exceptional efforts in bringing this cocaine kingpin to
justice.”
DEA Special Agent-in-Charge JOHN P. GILBRIDE stated,
“This conviction proves that DEA and our law enforcement partners
put our resources to the test to obtain the ultimate prosecution
for the highest echelon drug traffickers in the world. Drug
trafficking organizations have, for their own enrichment,
exploited the United States/Mexico border while DEA and our
foreign counterparts have targeted these organizations in order
to decrease supply as well as decrease demand in the United
States . In all aspects from enforcement, treatment and
education — law enforcement is working together to keep our
communities drug free.”
This case was prosecuted by the Office’s International
Narcotics Trafficking Unit. ANIRUDH BANSAL, JOCELYN STRAUBER,
and NICHOLAS LEWIN were in charge of the prosecution.
09-363 ###
