Colombian Navy narco plot unravels as two former personnel, Jair Alberto Alvarez Valenzuela and Luis Carlos Diaz Martinez, face charges in the United States for their involvement in a narco intelligence operation. Federal prosecutors accuse them of helping Colombian drug traffickers evade discovery by installing GPS monitoring devices aboard naval ships to track coast guard ships during cocaine smuggling operations.
The Claims
The two are accused of conspiring to bring cocaine into the United States and distribute it. Alvarez Valenzuela and Diaz Martinez, according to the prosecution, enlisted sailors to install monitoring devices on four important naval vessels:
Antioquia (Missile Frigate) ARC
- The Coastal Patrol Boat, or ARC Punta Espalda
- Noviembre ARC 11 (Coastal Patrol Boat)
- The American-Made Patrol Boat, or ARC Toledo
Drug traffickers were able to maneuver cocaine-laden ships away from possible capture by using these GPS trackers to monitor naval movements.
Who Was Responsible for the Plan?
The Gulf Clan, also called the Clan del Golfo, was allegedly connected to the operation. One of Colombia’s most potent organized criminal gangs is the cocaine cartel. The gang controls important cocaine export routes throughout the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, with its main headquarters situated in Urabá.
How Was the Plan Completed?
Dishonest navy insiders were crucial to activities. Diaz Martinez and Alvarez Valenzuela allegedly paid active-duty sailors hundreds of dollars to implant the devices, according to court filings. Traffickers used the GPS information gathered during their activities to evade police capture.
What Comes Next?
The FBI, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, and Coast Guard Investigative Service are assisting the U.S. Department of Justice in its ongoing investigation. The Middle District of Florida will try the former navy personnel.
This case demonstrates how drug traffickers’ strategies are always changing and how difficult it is for law enforcement to stop the global drug trade.
Source: USA Today
