After hiding in the remote jungles of Colombia for years allegedly directing a large paramilitary
criminal network despite a $6-million bounty on his head, Dario Antonio Úsuga David
woke up this week in Brooklyn, New York. Behind bars and moved in chains. His visit an unwilling
one. He was considered one of the most dangerous and most wanted men in the world, a global kingpin
allegedly responsible for moving more than 100 tons of coke worth more than 2 billion U.S. dollars
And now he's finally appeared in a courtroom in America. The Mob Reporter here with details of the
U.S. government's plans for — and allegations against — the man better known as Otoniel, the alleged supreme
leader of Colombia's most powerful cartel, known as the Clan del Golfo. Let me tell you about it
On May 5th, 2022, Otoniel appeared for the first time in a New York courtroom where he
denied being an international drug lord. He was refused bail and held in custody pending trial
It was another whirlwind flurry for the fifty-year-old Otoniel. His extradition from
Colombia the day before was a high-security military operation, that authorities thankfully
documented. You see it here. He is considered one of the biggest fish in a big dirty sea.
U.S. and Colombian authorities say he led one of the most powerful and violent paramilitary
organizations in the world; those are the two pillars of the U.S. allegations against him:
drugs and violence. He is accused of moving a staggering amount of bulk cocaine north
out of Colombia, through Central America and Mexico to the United States;
and of targeting both gangland rivals and government and police officials
Three federal U.S. court districts wanted to put him on trial, one in Florida and two in New York
He was arrested in a remote jungle hideaway in Colombia on October 23, 2021. Throughout all
but the last day of the massive hunt for Otoniel, since at least 2015, he always remained at least
one step ahead. He was surrounded by hardcore loyalists who had been at his side for decades
They had a strict no phones policy — if anyone was found with a phone or electronic device anywhere
near him it could cost them their life. He moved through the jungle on foot, on the back of a mule
or by riverboat, avoiding roads and populated areas. He lived, in essence, the life of a revolutionary
not as a narco. No luxury, no parties, no sports cars. Just tents and paranoia
It's something the U.S. authorities on the prosecution team seem to recognize... "For the
last decade Úsuga David has been the principal leader of the Clan del Golfo or CDG, the most
powerful paramilitary and drug trafficking cartel in Colombia. He is responsible for trafficking
vast amounts of cocaine, measured in tons not pounds or kilograms. He earned enormous profits
measured in billions not millions. He's indicted in the Eastern District of New York. That's the same
jurisdiction in Brooklyn where Mexico's cartel boss "El Chapo" Guzmán was put on trial in 2018
A jury there found El Chapo guilty on all counts of drug trafficking, money laundering, and murder
and he was sentenced to life in prison. Otoniel may face a similar fate
And like El Chapo, Otoniel seemed to have something in his eye when his travel to the U.S. began
Surely it's the dust. That seemed to reward U.S. officials... "His face said
it all, not happy to be visiting this great city he walked off the jet as a defeated man."
Otoniel is accused in the U.S. of leading a continuing criminal enterprise
and participating in an international cocaine manufacturing and distribution conspiracy as the
leader of a paramilitary group that became a multi-billion dollar drug organization
Court documents claim that from 2003 until his arrest, Otoniel was responsible for weekly
multi-ton exports of cocaine. As evidence of his operational capacity authorities point to three
recent seizures: on April 12, 2021, about 1,365 kilos seized from two boats off the coast of Panama;
two days later, April 14, 2021, about 2,609 kilos seized from a go-fast boat, also off the coast of
Panama; and on July 18, 2021, an astonishing 5,463 kilos seized from a boat in a jungle region in
Colombia. Together, just those three incidents total nearly 10 and a half tons. The documents
say he became the Clan del Golfo's supreme leader in 2012 and at his peak had six thousand people
under his command. Many of them wear military uniforms, operate within a military hierarchy
and use military tactics in a war against rival criminal organizations, other armed factions, and
the government. As well, authorities allege, Otoniel had a veritable army of sicarios — or hitmen — who
engaged in violence on his behalf. That includes not only killing traitors but the traitor's entire
family, officials said. U.S. officials also directly pointed to three weapon seizures from last year:
A January 24, 2021, find in Medellín, Colombia that included rocket-propelled grenades, rifles, machine
guns, and ammunition; another cache also in Medellín, found a few days later, contained rifles, handguns, a
silencer, and ammunition; and a third cache seized in Medellín, on July 28, 2021, of grenade launchers
rifles, handguns, magazines, and ammo. While the dope stashes are of a staggering size the weapon
seizure seem to be fairly modest, to be honest. Some just look like a well-stocked Arizona home. Otoniel
is even accused of trying to poison a witness with cyanide while he was imprisoned overseas, and
assassinating the witness's lawyers. He might wish now he hadn't put those kinds of ideas out there
The U.S. DEA has been after him for close to 20 years
It seems fair, I suppose, that if it's America's War on Drugs then it should be the United States
that bears the cost of court and prison for those found to be on the wrong side of things
And American officials are okay with that... "Today's extradition should send a clear message
to leaders of drug cartels all over the world: the DEA will relentlessly pursue anyone
a local street drug dealer, a money launderer, or the head of an international criminal drug cartel..."
Feeling great about the arrest, but not so good about the extradition, however,
are the many victims inside Colombia who seek justice for themselves
There was a push for Otoniel to be put on trial in his homeland. That seemed too sensitive and
perhaps too risky. What does Otoniel know after all? I bet a lot. Colombia's president promised
that once Otoniel completes any sentence issued in the United States, he will "return to
pay for the crimes he committed in Colombia." That seems increasingly unlikely
Meanwhile, after the extradition, Otoniel's supporters reminded the government their fight wasn't over
They staged a wave of revenge attacks, blockades, and a clan-enforced economic lockdown that became
violent and dangerous. It stretched over four days, spanning 11 of Colombia's 32 provinces
and included attacks on police stations. Military and police units responded. There were dozens of
deaths, injuries, arrests, and seizures. The cycle continues. The U.S. charges our allegations only
at this stage, but if he's found guilty he faces a sentence that would amount to life in prison
Check out my exclusive content and perks on Patreon at patreon.com/themobreporter
And thanks for watching. Please subscribe