October 19, 2007

Colombian extradited to U.S. to face drug-trafficking charges

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - A Colombian man wanted in the United States for narcotics smuggling was extradited to the United States Friday. The joint Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation was led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

A Sept. 24, 2005, multiple-count indictment charged Jose Luis Tejeiro-Garcia, 42, with drug smuggling after an ICE-led investigation identified him as the alleged coordinator of a drug smuggling venture that resulted in the seizure of more than 1800 kilograms of cocaine. On April 4, 2006, the Colombian National Police arrested Tejeiro-Garcia in Cartagena, Colombia where he awaited extradition to the United States.

Tejeiro-Garcia is believed to be the mastermind of the attempted import of the cocaine that was discovered on board the cargo vessel M/V Sea Atlantic in August 2005.

The M/V Sea Atlantic, sailing under the Bolivian flag approximately 150 nautical miles off the coast of Aruba, raised the interest of law enforcement organizations involved in Operation Caribbean Corridor. A successful cooperation among the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), the international Joint Inter-Agency Task Force South, the Royal Netherlands Navy, and the Coast Guard for the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, found 68 bales of cocaine hidden in a compartment on the ship.

The crew of the M/V Sea Atlantic was arrested and the ship was escorted to Puerto Rico by the USCG Cutter Vigorous.

On Jan. 30, 2006, Federal Judge Jose Fuste sentenced Venezuelan nationals Alicides Rodriguez-Duran, 38, captain of the ship, and Reinaldo Jose Cabello, 42, first mate, to 24 and 19 years in prison respectively. The other seven crew members: Carlos Julio Almonte, 59, of the Dominican Republic; Gandaogo Minoungou, 42, of Burkina Faso; Nii Klaku Okley, 39, of Ghana; Ruberts Gonzalez Valero, 29, of Venezuela; Ronald Jose Morelis, 32, of Venezuela; Julio Cessar de la Rosa, 34, of the Dominican Republic; and Alberto Javier Padilla, of Mexico, were each sentenced to 10 years in prison.

"ICE and the other federal agencies in Operation Caribbean Corridor-U.S. Attorney's Office, DEA, FBI and the U.S. Coast Guard-are working together, efficiently and intelligently to stop the transshipment of drugs and other contraband in the Caribbean Basin," said Roberto Escobar Vargas, acting special agent- in-charge of ICE investigations in Puerto Rico. "ICE will continue using all its resources to fight and win the war against drugs in this part of the world."

Tejeira-Garcia is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals and was transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, awaiting the outcome of his case.

The defendant is assumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

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