Juan Carlos Ramírez Abadía
Juan Carlos Ramírez Abadía | |
---|---|
racketeering, money laundering |
Juan Carlos Ramírez Abadía (Alias "Chupeta") (born February 16, 1963, in
He served time in prison in Colombia from 1996 to 2002 after he had voluntarily surrendered to authorities. As a fugitive, he underwent several plastic surgeries to alter his appearance.
He pleaded guilty to murder and drug charges in 2010 and, as part of a plea deal, agreed to become a witness for the US government in return for a 25 year sentence.[5] He testified at the 2018 trial of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, stating that he had been the main supplier of cocaine to El Chapo's Sinaloa cartel.[11][12] When pressed by El Chapo's defense about his records of having paid for 150 murders-for-hire, he said he couldn't recall the exact number but admitted to several specific cases.[5]
Relations to Cali cartel
Ramírez served in the Colombian navy and then studied at the University of Miami in the 1980s.
Ramírez surrendered in March 1996 to Colombian officials and was sentenced to 24 years in prison. It is believed he surrendered due to a fear for his personal safety and to be eligible for a more lenient prison sentence. Prior to his arrest, it is estimated he had smuggled a total of twenty metric tons of cocaine. The United States Department of State believes Ramírez continued his operation and control over smuggling throughout his time in prison, and continued upon his early release in 2002. In 2003, the US State Department believes Ramírez expanded his operation and began smuggling heroin into the US through ships. It is also believed Ramírez began to associate himself with the Norte del Valle cartel upon his release from prison.[1][2][4][13]
Law enforcement actions
In November 1994, Ramírez was indicted in the District of Colorado, in 2004 in the Eastern District of New York and, again indicted in 2006 in Eastern District of New York. Between state indictments a federal jury in March, 2004 brought forth a federal indictment on RICO charges, for his leadership in the Norte del Valle cartel, and drug trafficking. Requests from the Department of State to Colombia for the extradition of Ramírez were denied. A provisional arrest warrant was issued and sent to the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá, as well as a 5 million dollar bounty placed on Abadia for his arrest.[1][2][14]
In August 2000 the U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) declared Ramírez a "Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker," allowing the seizure of funds connected to, or stemming from his illegal activities. The OFAC announced on August 29, 2006, the seizure of assets from two companies related to Ramírez, a
In January 2007, Colombian officials stepped up efforts to combat the drug cartels in a series of raids targeting their financial holdings. In a one-week period Colombian officials discovered over $54 million in cash and gold ingots, hidden in buildings in the south-eastern portion of Cali. The stash of money and gold was located in vacuum sealed plastic bags inside locked steel chambers covered in concrete which was tiled over. The residents of the houses were arrested and taken into custody. The $54 million was only a small portion of the estimated $1.8 billion fortune.[4][15][16][17]
On August 7, 2007, Ramírez was arrested with his private pilot Candido.Norberto.G.Portella/Caiado in Aldeia da Serra, a wealthy neighborhood of
On March 13, 2008, the
Cooperation with U.S. law enforcement
According to a federal sentencing document, Ramirez began cooperating with agents while in custody in Brazil awaiting extradition to the United States. He surrendered ledgers, millions of dollars in drug proceeds, properties, weapons, and he urged other co-conspirators to surrender. While incarcerated in Brazil, Ramirez learned of a plot to kidnap one of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's children for extortion, and helped halt the effort.[20]
Ramirez pleaded guilty to murder and drug charges in 2010 and, as part of a plea deal, agreed to become a witness for the US government in return for a 25 year sentence.[5] Prosecutors credited him with information used to indict Jesus Zambada Garcia, Héctor Beltrán Leyva, and Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán. Prosecutors have suggested that knowledge of Ramirez's defection led to the guilty plea of Alfredo Beltrán Leyva. Prosecutors also credit Ramirez with providing intelligence about Colombian paramilitaries, corrupt government officials in Colombia and Mexico, and narcotics traffickers who are alleged to have murdered witnesses that have cooperated with the government.[20]
He testified at the 2018 trial of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, stating that he had been the main supplier of cocaine to El Chapo's Sinaloa cartel.[11][12] When pressed by El Chapo's defense about his records of having paid for 150 murders-for-hire, he said he couldn't recall the exact number but admitted to several specific cases.[5]
In May 2022, federal prosecutors acknowledged that Ramirez had provided useful cooperation and requested his sentencing judge to honor the deal for a sentence of 25 years.[20]
Popular culture
- 'Chupeta' is portrayed by the Colombian actor El Cartel de los Sapos, Raba reprised his role.
- In TV series Tres Caínes is portrayed by Luis Fernando Salas as the character of 'Chuleta'.
See also
- Cali Cartel
- Cocaine
- Narcotrafficking in Colombia
- Norte del Valle Cartel
- Medellín Cartel
References
- ^ a b c d "Juan Carlos Ramirez-Abadia". United States Department of State.
- ^ a b c d e "U.S. Department of Treasury Designation Targets Elusive North Valle Cartel Leader". United States Embassy in Bogota Colombia. August 29, 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-09-22.
- ^ a b "Treasury Designation Targets Elusive North Valle Cartel Leader". United States Treasury. August 29, 2006. Archived from the original on February 28, 2008.
- ^ a b c d Jeremy McDermott (February 7, 2007). "Drug lord's $19m cash seized by police". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on February 19, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f Hamilton, Keegan (2018-12-07). "Drug lords are using El Chapo's trial as a Get Out of Jail Free card". Vice News. Retrieved 2019-02-12.
- ^ "Capturan en Brasil a alias 'Chupeta'". Caracol Radio. August 7, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30.
- ^ "PF faz 'pente-fino' em casa de traficante em condomínio de luxo". TV Globo. August 7, 2007.
- ^ "Drug kingpin gets 30-year sentence in Brazil". The Seattle Times. 2008-04-02. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- ^ a b "Supremo concede extradição a megatraficante Abadía". Última Instância. March 13, 2008. Archived from the original on 2011-07-06.
- ^ a b "Brazil extradites Colombian drug lord to U.S." Associated Press. August 22, 2008. Archived from the original on September 6, 2008.
- ^ a b "Drug lord who hid identity with plastic-surgery says El Chapo claimed he was an efficient smuggler, trial hears". Canoe. 2018-11-30. Archived from the original on December 5, 2018.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- ^ James Milford Deputy Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (July 16, 1997). "DEA Congressional Testimony". Drug Enforcement Administration. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007.
- ^ "United States Announces RICO Charges Against Leadership of Colombia's Most Powerful Cocaine Cartel". United States Department of Justice. May 6, 2004.
- ^ Jeremy McDermott (February 5, 2007). "Police haul adds to drug baron's woes". The New Scotsman.
- ^ Donna Miles (January 19, 2007). "Pace, Colombian Leaders Address Drug Trafficking, Narcoterrorism". American Forces Press Service.
- ^ "Colombian police confiscate 54 million dollars". Monsters & Critics. January 17, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-09-26.
- ^ "Brazil nabs Colombian drug lord wanted in U.S." Reuters. August 7, 2007.
- ^ "Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadía's underpants sell out fast". Colombia Reports. April 10, 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-10. [dead link]
- ^ Recap (PACER current docket view)