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Wednesday, October 19, 2022

Colombian Kingpin Daniel Rendon Herrera “Don Mario” Sentenced to 35 Years and Forfeits $45 Million for Narco-Terrorism

“Socalj” for Borderland Beat 

“Don Mario” transformed the AUC paramilitary group into the Clan del Golfo cartel after refusing to demobilize during peace efforts.

In federal court in Brooklyn, Daniel Rendon Herrera, also known as “Don Mario,” a citizen of Colombia, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dora L. Irizarry to 35 years’ imprisonment for engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise as a leader of the paramilitary, multibillion dollar drug organization known as the “Clan del Golfo” (CDG), and 15 years’ imprisonment for conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC). The sentences will run concurrently. As part of the sentence, the Court ordered Rendon Herrera to pay $45,750,000 million in forfeiture. The defendant pleaded guilty to the charges in November 2021.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Damian Williams, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA); Michael Alfonso, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI); Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); Keechant L. Sewell, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD); and Steven A. Nigrelli, First Deputy Superintendent, New York State Police (NYSP), announced the sentence.

“Once the most feared narco-terrorist in Colombia, today marks the end of the criminal career of Rendon Herrera, responsible for importing tons of cocaine, fueling violence, perpetuating drug abuse leaving a wake of destruction from Colombia to the United States, and stained with the blood of rival drug traffickers and civilians who were tortured and killed by the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Our Office remains committed to cooperating with our international partners to dismantle transnational criminal organizations like the Clan del Golfo.”

“Daniel Rendon Herrera was one of the most prolific drug traffickers to ever operate in Colombia,” stated DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Tarentino. “As leader of the AUC and Clan del Golfo, Don Mario was responsible for not only importing multi-ton quantities of cocaine into the United States, but also for terrorizing the citizens of Colombia for financial gain. Today’s sentencing underscores DEA’s commitment to bringing to justice drug traffickers at the highest levels who cause the most harm throughout our communities.”

“These paramilitary drug cartels may seem to be a world away, but they have a deadly impact on communities here in New York City. Today’s sentencing demonstrates we and our partners remain committed to pursuing the leadership of these organizations and will hold them accountable for the devastation they cause,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.

“Starting in the late 1990’s, Rendon Herrera was the leader and mastermind behind a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially-Designated Global Terrorism Organization. Under his leadership, Clan del Golfo (CDG) was responsible for heinous acts of violence, often leaving death and destruction in its wake to further the organization’s global cocaine trafficking network,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso. “Today’s sentencing and ordered forfeiture demonstrates the weight of Rendon Herrera’s crimes. HSI will continue to work ceaselessly alongside our partners to protect Americans by dismantling and disrupting transnational criminal organizations and bring their leaders to justice.”

“Today’s sentencing reinforces the NYPD’s tireless work to rid our city of illegal narcotics and ensures meaningful consequences for one of the world’s most notorious narcotics traffickers,” said NYPD Commissioner Sewell. “The drugs and violence linked to this case knew no borders – but neither did the combined efforts of our NYPD officers and law enforcement partners as we collaborated on the local, state, federal, and international levels to achieve justice. For their sustained dedication, I am proud to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New York State Police, and everyone else who contributed to this successful outcome.”

As set forth in the court filings and proceedings, since the late 1990’s, Rendon Herrera was a leader of the designated foreign terrorist organization, the AUC, and founder and leader of the CDG, formerly and also referred to as Los Urabeños and Clan Usuga, effectively the successor organization to the AUC.

The AUC, founded in 1997, was a Colombian paramilitary and drug-trafficking organization, designated in 2001 by the United States Department of State as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially-Designated Global Terrorism Organization. The AUC engaged in armed conflict with the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarios de Colombia (FARC), Colombia’s main guerilla group, and sought to remove FARC sympathizers from positions of power and influence in Colombia. To support its political and terrorist objectives, the AUC imposed “taxes” on cocaine trafficked through AUC-controlled areas and engaged in violent attacks including murders and kidnappings. By 2006, many members of the AUC demobilized as part of the Colombian government’s Justice and Peace process – a process under which paramilitary members surrender to the Colombian government and relinquish their criminally-derived assets in exchange for reduced sentences and amnesty from extradition. Rather than submit to the peace process, Rendon Herrera re-mobilized the AUC as the CDG.

The CDG, like the AUC, continued to finance their paramilitary and drug trafficking by imposing a “tax” on multi-ton shipments of cocaine that transited through areas in Colombia controlled by the organization, which shipments – more than 80 tons of cocaine – were ultimately destined for importation into the United States. The CDG also employed “sicarios,” or hitmen, who carried out various acts of violence, including murders, assaults, kidnappings, and assassinations to collect drug debts, maintain discipline, control and expand drug territory and to promote and enhance the prestige, reputation and position of the organization. By 2009, when Rendon Herrera was captured by the Colombian National Police, he commanded 16 “bloques,” or territories, across Colombia and thousands of armed paramilitary fighters. Additionally, since 2009, Rendon Herrera has been designated by the United States Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control, as a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. Rendon Herrera’s successor as leader of the Clan del Golfo, Dairo Antonio Úsuga David, also known as “Otoniel,” was extradited to the Eastern District of New York in May 2022 to face charges of leading a continuing criminal enterprise and participating in an international cocaine manufacturing and distribution conspiracy, and is awaiting trial.

Source DOJ


31 comments:

  1. Colombians probably the most serious and powerful syndicates in the world! Very smart and low key!

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    Replies
    1. There is no most powerful reddit nino. Smart criminals network and share resources those are the most powerful but there is not singular organization.

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    2. not smart enough They got caught Not low key enough they always dieing

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  2. You american drug fiends need not worry as there is more drugs and at a cheaper price than ever! Get the pipes and needles out!!

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  3. Mexican cartel leaders have to forfeit Billions of US dollars.
    Example (Chapo,El Mochomo,Vicente ,Flores Twins)
    These Colombian narcos only millions . That shows who are the real Patrones

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    Replies
    1. 9:58 means nothing reddit nino. I am sorry to inform you that Colombians are the true kings of cocaine

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    2. Mochomo forfeited 500+ Million
      How much did they others?

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    3. Those Colombian guys don't have billions that's why..
      Pablo did, he had so much money he didn't know what to do with it. He would bury it, give it away, hide it ext ext.. this guy wasn't a business man like that.

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    4. $12.7 billions USD for Chapo Guzman

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    5. Pablo was in a league all of his own as far as money coming in, he was the key lynch pin of that era. A time in history where there was a monolith, will never be repeated again. So many players

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    6. 4:59 Chapo barely made it to Forbes list of Billionaires, with One Billion dollars, padded to make it easier to demonize his ass for being a wise ass.

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    7. 10:31 the Colombians don’t run the cocaine trade, the CIA and the Mossad do. They control the world. I mean come on really?

      I bet nobody here has seen real puruvian flake or Bolivian pink

      Everybody in the USA smokes Fentanyl “fetty” rocks instead of coca or meth laced fetty

      Colombia don’t make heroin cocaine or illegal cannabis anymore there’s no market for it due to synthetic drugs and the Albanians are growing coca in the EU while the Taliban makes organic meth and heroin

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    8. You ALMOST had something going until you said Flores twins. They’ve never had billions and never been cartel leaders. Stop romanticizing the drug culture on the internet. You’re as bad as Angel Villarreal he follows all the famous dealers and bosses on IG even people along the border in TX just trying to project an image of being in the dope game. No wonder they kicked his door in

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    9. CIA and Mossad ? Please elaborate.

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    10. Mossad and CIA these are always the funniest. Colombians no longer play a role in trafficking to the US but don't get confused they have shifted operations else where. You don't see big cartels any more you see smaller ones that work together like a mafia less violence less attention. When one of the Chapitos went to meddelin he was protected by the mafia in medellin

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    11. 6:02 Chain o' Command says, beforebthe CIA was CIA, they helped their rat line nazi escapees make it to southamerica, among them Klaus Barbie who became ring master of the school of torture for extreme right wing military regimes of the southamerica, while at it he developed the trafficking of cocaine with cuban refugee FELIX ISMAEL RODRIGUEZ MENDIGUTIA, connected to Pablo Escobar and carlos lehder, (now living happy and free in his beloved Germany)
      MOSSAD took Barbie down and packaged his ass to france, deported Adolf Eichmann to israel, but would not let go of Barbie's drug trafficking and money laundering in cahoots with his CIA accomplices like henry kissinger, still doing business merrilly.

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  4. Why do they even forfeit the money? If I knew I was going to die in jail I’ll just let my family have a blast with it lol itwould make me feel good inside while doing 45++

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    Replies
    1. They forfeit the money so the government stops going after the family and allows them to live out their life and have a blast. If not, they will hunt them down like dogs for the $$$

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  5. Old Don Mario is 57 years old. He has to serve 85% of that 35 years or about 30 years. The average man dies at about 75. He has little chance of outliving that sentence. He will be going back to Colombia in a box.

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    Replies
    1. Damn fool
      He will be out in 3 years tops.
      He could do this bid standing on his head.

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  6. Random factoid the Columbians are No longer the top money launderers on the scene, charging 13-18%. Chinese living in Mexico, Guatemala and LA have a 24hr turn around time and charge 1-5%, taking out the Columbians as the go to for TNO's

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    Replies
    1. What does tno mean?

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    2. 6:02 mami, you know the business...
      how much would you charge?
      9:29:
      TransNational Organizations

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  7. Slinging a heavy loaded HK416A7 (3.85kg) or hauling tons of Coke~Cola is soooooo nothing compared to my lily shoulder wearing a full (tidy+organised) LV handbag! What does fashion have to do with elite weapons or drugs?

    Well, unknown to the General public Kingpin Don Mario may 'seem to be worlds away' but his 'quality' goods infiltrated many a household -- just like fashion magnet CEO of LVMH Bernard Arnault - he's largely unknown to the public but his stunning handbags+textiles grace manors and ghettos alike. So lovely being a girlie girl and not a baddy boy.

    Canadian girl💋

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    Replies
    1. You are corny and so is Canada. Go and walk around Zona Norte in Tijuana gangster.

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    2. Tijuana have probably the most dangerous and violent criminal crews in the World!

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  8. Meanwhile memo fantasma the most powerful drug lord in the world is free.

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    1. looks like attacking/killing/jailing bosses doesnt give any results.

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    2. 4:40 yer exactly right,
      and it is a symptom of an unfriendly business takeover, like most drug wars or wars on drugs.

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  9. Also exporting to Europe.Mario bigger than Chapo,Mencho,Mayo.

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    Replies
    1. Bigger? He's in a concrete cell sleeping on a flimsy mattress just like ChapoG.

      Delete

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