Cali Cartel Kingpin Joaquin Valencia-Trujillo sentenced to 40 years

Mark R. Trouville, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) Miami Field Division and Paul I. Perez, U.S.
Attorney for the Middle District of Florida (MDFL), announced that
Joaquin Mario Valencia-Trujillo, of Cali, Colombia, was sentenced in
federal court, in Tampa, for his role as a Colombian cocaine kingpin.
Valencia-Trujillo was sentenced to a prison term of 40 years and
ordered to forfeit $110 million. Valencia-Trujillo was convicted, in
was charged in August 2002 with engaging in a continuing criminal
enterprise, conspiracy to import cocaine, conspiracy to distribute
cocaine and conspiracy to engage in money laundering. After his
arrest in Bogotá, Colombia, in January 2003, Valencia-Trujillo was
extradited to the MDFL.

During the four month trial, government witnesses depicted
Valencia-Trujillo as the cocaine supplier for Salvatore Magluta and
Guillermo "Willie" Falcon, dating back as early as the late 1970s.
Testimony further described Valencia-Trujillo as the supplier of more
than 100 tons of cocaine annually to the U.S. since the early 1990s
until his arrest in January 2003. In accordance with the extradition
agreement with Colombia, the jury's verdict and the court's sentence
were based solely upon Valencia-Trujillo's post December 17, 1997
activities.

Mr. Perez stated, "The Valencia-Trujillo case serves as another
example of the cooperation and commitment of the United States
and Colombia to the counterdrug effort. The human misery and
societal cost for which this defendant is responsible is
immeasurable. The punishment is well-deserved and long overdue."
The investigation and prosecution was the result of the efforts of
agents and analysts from the DEA, Federal Bureau of Investigation,
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Marshals Service,
Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Sarasota County Sheriff's
Office and the Colombian National Police.