The United States has unsealed indictments against over a dozen alleged leaders of the Gaitanistas, a clear sign the US government is committed to dismantling the most powerful criminal organization left standing in Colombia.
On June 23, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced 17 alleged leaders and associates of the Gaitanistas, also known as the Gulf Clan, Urabeños, and Gaitanist Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia – AGC), have been indicted by the US District Courts in Miami and Brooklyn, New York. (See below for a short profile of each of the alleged Gaitanistas found in the US indictments. Some of those listed were mentioned in previously unsealed indictments included in the DOJ press release.)
Six of the suspects were charged in both Miami and Brooklyn, including Dario Antonio Usuga, alias "Otoniel," the alleged head of the AGC and Colombia's most wanted man. The Southern District of New York had previously indicted Otoniel in 2009. The US Department of State has issued a $5 million reward for information leading to Otoniel's arrest.
Many of the other prominent figures associated with the AGC were named in the indictments as well, including Daniel Rendon Herrera, alias “Don Mario,” the founder of the criminal group who is currently in Colombian custody awaiting extradition to the United States. Several of the other indicted AGC members are also already in prison, such as Henry de Jesus Lopez, alias “Mi Sangre,” who was captured in Argentina in 2012.
SEE ALSO: Urabeños News and Profile
The alleged AGC members are formally charged with operating a criminal enterprise, international cocaine trafficking, and the use of firearms in order to conduct drug trafficking activities.
The AGC are considered the biggest drug trafficking organization in Colombia, and the last BACRIM (from the Spanish acronym for “bandas criminales”) to maintain a national reach. Colombia's anti-narcotics police say the criminal group is capable of trafficking up to 2,000 kilos of cocaine per week to the United States and Europe.
InSight Crime Analysis
The indictments show the US government has set its sights squarely on the AGC, now that Colombia's other major BACRIM, such as the Rastrojos, have fallen into decline. The DOJ called the move a “coordinated strike against Colombia’s largest and most influential” drug trafficking organization.
The pressure on the AGC is mounting from both international law enforcement as well as Colombian security forces. Colombia has deployed over 1,000 military and police officials to the northwest region of Uraba, the AGC's heartland, with the goal of capturing Otoniel and other leaders of the criminal organization.
Despite this offensive against the AGC, the criminal network maintains a series of small cells, or "nodes," that operate throughout the country. Colombian authorities report the AGC count close to 3,000 operatives within their ranks, as well as another 1,000 individuals who carry out criminal activities on their behalf.
Alleged Urabeños Members Indicted by the United States
Name: Dario Antonio Usuga
Alias: “Otoniel,” “Mao,” "Mauricio," "Gallo," "Mauricio Gallo"
Role in the AGC: Maximum leader
Status: At large
Indictment: New York (10 other people named), Florida (8 other people named)
Name: Daniel Rendon Herrera
Alias: “Don Mario”
Role in the AGC: Founder
Status: Captured
Indictment: New York
Name: Roberto Vargas Gutierrez
Alias: “Gavilan”
Role in the AGC: Commander, drug tax collector, manages armed combatants, controls specific territorial areas in Colombia
Status: At large
Indictment: New York (10 other people named), Florida (8 other people named)
Name: Henry De Jesus Lopez
Alias: “Mi Sangre,” “Salvador,” “Carlos Mario,” “Brother,” “Krackin,” “Federico”
Role in the AGC: Leader
Status: Captured
Indictment: Florida
Name: Carlos Alberto Moreno Tuberquia
Alias: “Nicolas”
Role in the AGC: Commander, oversees drug trafficking in the Gulf of Uraba and the expansion of the AGC
Status: At large
Indictment: New York, Florida
Name: Aristides Manuel Mesa Paez
Alias: “El Indio”
Role in the AGC: Commander, drug tax collector, manages armed combatants, controls specific territorial areas in Colombia
Status: At large
Name: Cesar Daniel Anaya Martinez
Alias: “Tierra”
Role in the AGC: Commander, controlled drug trafficking routes in Uraba and maintained contacts with corrupt public officials
Status: Captured
Name: Luis Orlando Padierna Pena
Alias: “Inglaterra”
Role in the AGC: Commander
Status: At large
Indictment: New York
Name: Orlando Gutierrez Rendon
Alias: “El Negro," “El Negro Orlando”
Role in the AGC: Drug tax collector
Status: Captured
Indictment: New York
Name: Gustavo Palomino Araujo
Alias: “Camilo”
Role in the AGC: Leader of drug collection office and paramilitary group aligned with the AGC
Status: Captured
Indictment: New York
Name: Eduardo Fernando Cardoza Giraldo
Alias: “Boliqueso”
Role in the AGC: Leader of drug collection office and paramilitary group aligned with the AGC
Status: Unknown
Indictment: New York
Name: Andres Fernandez Perez-Restrepo
Alias: “Anthrax,” “Babynarco”
Role in the AGC: Leader of an allied criminal group in the Gulf of Morrosquillo
Status: Captured
Indictment: Miami
Name: Victor Alfonso Mosquera Perez
Alias: “Palomo,” “Negro”
Role in the AGC: Leader of hit squad
Status: Captured
Indictment: Miami
Name: Jairo De Jesus Durango Restrepo
Alias: “Guagua”
Role in the AGC: Commander
Status: At large
Indictment: New York
Name: Alverio Feo Alvarado
Alias: “Benavides,” “Doble B,” “Jeronimo,” Hacienda,” “Costeño,” “Pariente”
Role in the AGC: Political boss
Status: Captured
Indictment: Miami
Name: Oscar David Pulgarin Gañan
Alias: “Senor de los Caballos,” “Niño,” “Coroso”
Role in the AGC: Commander
Status: At large
Indictment: Miami
Name: Eduardo Luis Vargas Gutierrez
Alias: “Pipon”
Role in the AGC: Commander, key to moving drug shipments
Status: At large
Indictment: Miami
Name: Jhon Fernando Giraldo Usuga
Alias: “Simon”
Role in the AGC: Commander
Status: Captured
Indictment: Miami
Name: Arley Usuga Torres
Alias: “07,” “Siete,” “Samuel”
Role in the AGC: Commander
Status: Captured
Indictment: Miami
Name: Jose Carlos Londono Robledo
Alias: “Tito,” “Wolverine”
Role in the AGC: Leader
Status: Unknown
Indictment: Miami
Name: Edison Gomez Molina
Alias: “El Doctor”
Role in the AGC: Accountant
Status: Captured
Indictment: Florida
Name: Juan Diego Giraldo Usuga
Alias: “Menor,” “Camilo”
Role in the AGC: Drug trafficker
Status: Captured
Indictment: Florida
Name: Jhoni Alberto Grajales
Alias: “Guajiro”
Role in the AGC: Leader of drug collection offices and allied paramilitary groups
Status: Unknown
Indictment: New York
Name: Jobanis de Jesus Avila Villadiego
Alias: “Chiquito,” “Chiquito Malo”
Role in the AGC: Commander
Status: Unknown
Indictment: New York
Name: Ramiro Caro Pineda
Alias: “Nolasco”
Role in the AGC: Commander, leader for charging drug taxes and coordinating drug shipments, managed air strips and ports along Colombian coast
Status: Unknown
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