Two leaders of Colombia’s largest and most influential BACRIM (banda criminal or criminal group), CLAN USUGA (formerly referred to as Los Urabeños), were sentenced to 20 and 24 year prison terms for their involvement in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and A.D. Wright, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
On June 4, 2015, nine defendants, including Oscar David Pulgarin-Ganan, a/k/a “Niño," a/k/a “Coroso," and Ramiro Caro-Pineda, a/k/a “Nolasco," a/k/a “Hugo" were charged in a single-count Indictment, in the Southern District of Florida, for their participation in large-scale drug trafficking organization based out of Colombia (Case No. 15cr20403). Pulgarin-Ganan and Caro-Pineda conspired to traffic large amounts of cocaine from Colombia, through Central America, with the eventual destination being the United States, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 959 and 960. Pulgarin-Ganan and Caro-Pineda pled guilty to the indictment and were respectively sentenced, in 2016, to 240 and 284 months’ imprisonment.
Pulgarin-Ganan and Caro-Pineda were top-level members of the CLAN USUGA drug trafficking organization. Caro-Pineda oversaw transportation and shipments of all loads owned, controlled, or protected by the criminal group. Pulgarin-Ganan was an owner, manager, and investor in loads with other high-level members of the drug trafficking organization. Pulgarin-Ganan managed multi-ton loads being sent by airplane and go-fast vessels to Central American and eventually being imported into the United States. In addition, Pulgarin-Ganan was in charge of coordinating all CLAN USUGA cocaine loads that arrived in Central America, with the final eventual destination being the United States.
Caro-Pineda was also indicted in the Middle District of Florida, Eastern District of Texas, and Eastern District of New York and pled guilty to each indictment.
These cases are the result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The OCDETF mission is to identify, investigate, and prosecute high level members of drug trafficking enterprises, bringing together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the DEA. Mr. Ferrer also recognized the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Middle District of Florida, Eastern District of Texas, and Eastern District of New York for their collective assistance with the prosecution of CLAN USUGA leaders and high-ranking members. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael B. Nadler.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
