Colombian Drug Trafficker, Dubbed “Colombia’s Most Dangerous Narco-Trafficker of the Century,” Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison
In a landmark ruling this week, Dairo Antonio Úsuga David, known as Otoniel, was sentenced to 45 years in prison by a judge in Brooklyn federal court. Prosecutors described him as “the most violent and significant” Colombian drug trafficker since Pablo Escobar. Úsuga, aged 51, pleaded guilty in January to leading the Gulf Clan, a notorious paramilitary group operating as a powerful drug cartel.
The Gulf Clan, known for its extreme violence, controlled vast territories in Colombia, employing brutal tactics to silence rivals and law enforcement officers. Francisco J. Navarro, a prosecutor, emphasized during the court proceeding that Mr. Úsuga was responsible for numerous murders of civilians and law enforcement officers, calling him Colombia’s most dangerous narco-trafficker of the century. Representatives from the Colombian government were present at the hearing.
Úsuga’s capture in a remote jungle hide-out last year led then-Colombian President Iván Duque to compare it to the fall of Pablo Escobar. President Duque even declared that Úsuga’s arrest marked “the end of the Gulf Clan.” However, new leaders have since emerged, and the group remains as strong as ever.
The charges against Úsuga included conspiracy to transport vast amounts of cocaine by land and sea. While his lawyers argued that he had been a child soldier during Colombia’s civil war, they acknowledged his acceptance of responsibility for his crimes. They also urged for support in negotiating peace in Colombia, including involving all parties, even drug traffickers.
During the sentencing, Úsuga himself addressed the court, seeking forgiveness and delivering a message to the youth of Colombia, urging them not to follow his path. He called on the United States to support peace negotiations in Colombia involving all stakeholders, including drug traffickers.
Judge Dora L. Irizarry reprimanded Úsuga’s lawyers for focusing on his upbringing, emphasizing that he had chosen to channel his energy into rising through the ranks of a violent industry rather than overcoming hardship. She commented, “I see it every day with people who come before me with their lives wasted.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration had been investigating Úsuga for nearly two decades, with the State Department offering a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest. The Gulf Clan, composed of “former members of terrorist organizations,” controlled drug routes and laboratories, primarily in northwestern Colombia.
According to the indictments, Úsuga was responsible for an enormous cocaine production and shipping pipeline, spanning from Colombia through Central America and Mexico to the United States. Prosecutors stated that he became the head of the Gulf Clan in 2012, making it one of the world’s largest cocaine distributors.
Despite Úsuga’s sentencing, the Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces, as they prefer to be called, continue to control significant areas near the border with Panama and the Caribbean and Pacific coasts. Colombian security forces estimate that the group has thousands of members who engage in killings, torture, and kidnappings.
As part of his plea agreement, Úsuga agreed to forfeit $216 million and will face additional charges in Colombia once his sentence is served. His lawyers argued against his isolation in prison, calling it “mental torture,” and highlighted his health conditions, including painful hernias.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland issued a statement affirming that this sentence sends a clear message that the Justice Department will hold accountable leaders of deadly drug trafficking organizations that harm the American people, regardless of their location and the time it takes to apprehend them.
This news article includes information from reporting by Julie Turkewitz.