Three Colombian nationals have pleaded guilty in a St. Louis court, admitting their roles in a conspiracy to smuggle cocaine into the United States. Jesus Jhormen Mosquera-Quinto, 41, entered his plea on Wednesday in U.S. District Court, acknowledging charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute aboard a vessel.
Mosquera-Quinto was part of a drug trafficking organization based in the Turbo region of Colombia that produced cocaine and used unregistered go-fast vessels (GFVs) for transport through Central America to the United States.
Carlos Mario Agresott Salas, 41, and Joan Sebastian Supulveda Mona, 34, had already pleaded guilty to similar charges in December 2024. Supulveda Mona managed shipment coordination while Mosquera-Quinto and Agresott Salas were responsible for logistics and attended GFV departures.
The three men were linked to multiple shipments intercepted by authorities. On June 17, 2021, the Colombian Navy seized a GFV carrying approximately 1,256 kilograms of cocaine. Following this incident, Agresott Salas and Supulveda Mona discussed legal strategies over phone calls.
Subsequent interceptions occurred on November 8, 2021 (195 kilograms), and March 17, 2022 (1,606 kilograms), involving efforts by the Colombian Navy and Coast Guard.
Agresott Salas and Supulveda Mona faced indictment in St. Louis federal court in 2021; Mosquera-Quinto was added later via superseding indictment in 2022. The two men were extradited from Colombia on August 14, 2024; Sepulveda Mona's extradition took place earlier on June 19.
Both Agresott Salas and Supulveda Mona received sentences of 66 months imprisonment each this past March.
The case is prosecuted in St. Louis due to maritime drug smuggling jurisdiction rules allowing cases anywhere within U.S federal courts.
Investigations involved cooperation between various agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Colombian Navy/Coast Guard/law enforcement entities as well as assistance from several Justice Department offices facilitating arrests/extraditions: Office of International Affairs & Narcotic/Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché office located Bogotá-Colombia provided significant support during proceedings led by Assistant U.S Attorneys Jim Delworth/Samantha Reitz/Erin Granger under OCDETF operations targeting high-level criminal organizations threatening US interests using multi-agency intelligence-driven approaches available at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF
