A Colombian on Tuesday was sentenced to 45 years in prison for engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise as a leader of the multibillion-dollar paramilitary and drug trafficking organization known as the “Clan del Golfo” (CDG), officials stated.
According to court documents, Dairo Antonio Úsuga David, aka Otoniel, 51, of Antioquia, Colombia, was sentenced for engaging in a maritime narcotics conspiracy and for engaging in a narcotics importation conspiracy.
The court ordered Úsuga David to pay $216 million in forfeiture as part of the sentence. The defendant pleaded guilty to all three charges in January 2023.
(Dairo Antonio Úsuga, aka “Otoniel,” was extradited from Bogota, Colombia, to the Southern District of New York May 4, 2022.
The U.S. Marshals Service Special Operations Group conducted the transport as soon as he landed in S/NY and continued on with the processing and security of the move.)
“Otoniel led one of the largest cocaine trafficking organizations in the world, where he directed the exportation of massive amounts of cocaine to the United States and ordered the ruthless execution of Colombian law enforcement, military officials, and civilians,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.
According to authorities, Usuga David, who also went by the name “Otoniel,” led a 6000-member militarized cartel controlling vast swaths of territory in the Urabá region of Antioquia, Colombia.
“The human misery caused by the defendant’s incredibly violent, vengeful, and bloody reign as leader of the Clan del Golfo drug trafficking organization may never be fully calculated due to its magnitude, but today’s lengthy sentence delivers appropriate justice and sends a message to other paramilitary and cartel leaders that the United States will seek their arrest and extradition in order to hold them accountable in our courts of law,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York.
Between June 2003 and October 2021, Úsuga David exported multi-ton shipments of cocaine from Colombia to Mexico and Central America for ultimate importation into the United States.
Additionally, Úsuga David conspired to distribute narcotics via maritime vessels and also to manufacture and distribute cocaine.
The Clan Del Golfo
The CDG is one of Colombia’s most violent and powerful criminal organizations, and it is one of the largest distributors of cocaine in the world.
Clad in military uniforms, CDG members employ military tactics and weapons to reinforce their power and incite wars and violence against rival drug traffickers, paramilitary organizations, and Colombian law enforcement authorities who threaten the CDG’s control.
The CDG funds its operations primarily through a multi-billion-dollar drug trafficking operation.
It imposes a “tax” on any drug traffickers operating in the territory under its control, charging fees for every kilogram of cocaine manufactured, stored, or transported through areas controlled by the organization.
The CDG also directly exports cocaine and coordinates the production, purchase, and transfer of weekly and bi-weekly multi-ton shipments of cocaine from Colombia into Central America and Mexico for ultimate importation to the United States.
To maintain control over CDG territory, Úsuga David and the CDG employed an army of “sicarios,” or hitmen, who carried out acts of violence, including murders, assaults, kidnappings, torture, and assassinations against competitors and those deemed traitors to the organization, as well as their family members.
The CDG murdered and assaulted Colombian law enforcement officers, Colombian military personnel, rival drug traffickers and paramilitaries, potential witnesses, and civilians.
Úsuga David served as a high-ranking leader within the CDG from its inception and was its principal leader for about ten years.
Úsuga David assumed power and territorial control over vast swaths of the Colombian coastline and personally directed members of the CDG to commit acts of violence to reinforce that power.
This included violence against civilians.
For example, in early 2012, following the death of Úsuga David’s brother in a police raid, Úsuga David ordered a multi-day shutdown be imposed on towns and communities within the CDG’s control.
During the strike, CDG members ordered that all businesses remain closed and that residents stay home.
Úsuga David ordered CDG members to execute those who did not adhere to his orders.
Úsuga David also personally ordered CDG members to commit murders of specific individuals, including the murders of rival drug traffickers and members of the CDG who betrayed him or the organization.
For example, Úsuga David ordered the assassinations of multiple individuals who worked for a rival drug trafficking organization.
In addition, Úsuga David regularly directed CDG members to use violence, intimidation, and murder to dissuade law enforcement authorities from performing their duties and to silence potential witnesses.
For example, at Úsuga David’s direction, the CDG carried out organized campaigns, referred to as “Plan Pistolas,” to kill Colombian law enforcement and military personnel using military-grade weapons, including grenades, explosives, and assault rifles.
Úsuga David offered bounties for the murder of Colombian police officers and military personnel to intimidate law enforcement authorities and prevent them from capturing him or interfering in the CDG’s business.
Úsuga David’s organization made numerous attempts to assassinate individuals who were believed to be cooperating with law enforcement.
As part of the sentence, the court ordered Úsuga David to pay a $216 million forfeiture money judgment.
The DEA, HSI, FBI, New York City Police Department (NYPD), and New York State Police (NYSP) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Francisco J. Navarro, Gillian Kassner, and Tara B. McGrath for the Eastern District of New York prosecuted the case.