A Colombian man, Raul Orlando Torres Cubides, known as "Jose Jota," was sentenced to 178 months imprisonment for conspiring to import large quantities of cocaine into the United States. This sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Esther Salas following Cubides's guilty plea to charges of conspiracy to import cocaine. The conspiracy, involving Cubides in a managerial capacity along with more than five others, took place between 2016 and January 2020. It targeted importing cocaine from regions including Colombia, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic.
In addition to his prison sentence, Cubides will serve five years of supervised release. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Farhana C. Melo from the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
U.S. Attorney Alina Habba acknowledged the contributions of various DEA agents and task force officers, led by Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz in Newark, and others operating in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. She also acknowledged the assistance of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section Judicial Attachés in Bogotá, and the U.S. Marshals Service, among others.
This case is part of a broader initiative, the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. The OCDETF focuses on dismantling high-level criminal organizations threatening the U.S. by using a comprehensive, multi-agency approach. It is also linked to Operation Take Back America, aiming to address illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations.
Contact for the defense was made through James Plaisted, Esq., based in Hackensack, New Jersey.
