The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced April 13 the sentencing of a Honduran woman for her role as a leader in a conspiracy to traffic cocaine into the United States.
Erlinda Ramos-Bobadilla, 62, received a 20-year prison sentence in March, according to a DHS press release. Ramos-Bobadilla, also known as Chinda, led one of the most prominent drug-trafficking operations in Honduras and was a leader of the Montes-Bobadilla drug trafficking organization.
“This sentencing reflects the Department of Justice’s commitment to holding traffickers like Ramos-Bobadilla accountable and dismantling the trafficking organizations they support," Assistant Attorney General, Kenneth Polite Jr., said in the release.
The organization’s base of operations was in northeastern Honduras and the coastal hamlet of Francia served as the headquarters for the Los Montes drug trafficking group, the release stated.
The investigation, which was conducted by multiple agencies including the Department of Homeland Security Investigations section, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the FBI, and the Virginia State Police, revealed that Chinda was involved in multiple crimes.
She was involved in purchasing, planning, and organizing violent acts, including killings, to further the conspiracy, according to the release.
In addition, the Los Montes organization received large shipments of cocaine from South America and worked with other smugglers to move the drug inland through several countries including Guatemala and Mexico, before importing and distributing it in the United States, the release stated.
The Los Montes organization received secret air and sea shipments of cocaine from sources in South America, with each shipment containing hundreds of kilograms of the drug, according to the DHS.
This sentencing reflects the Department of Justice's determination to dismantle drug trafficking organizations and hold their leaders accountable to ensure the safety of communities, the release stated.
"The Criminal Division will continue working tirelessly with our federal, state, and international partners to ensure our communities are kept safe,” Polite Jr. said.
