U.S. Announces Racketeering Indictment against Colombian Cartel Leaders

On May 6, 2004, the U.S. Government announced the unsealing of the indictment filed on April 29, 2004 in the U.S. District Court in the District of Colombia against nine persons, including six leaders of North Valle Cartel, which allegedly is responsible for smuggling more than 1.2 million pounds or 500 metric tons of cocaine, worth about $10 billion into the U.S. since 1990. According to the indictment the Cartel has been responsible for the shipment of as much as 50 percent of the cocaine smuggled annually from Colombia to the U.S. and Europe...[more]