OFAC Sanctions Colombian Public Official For Ties To Drug Trafficker.

[Judi Lynn]

October 19, 2010, 2:19 PM ET.
OFAC Sanctions Colombian Public Official For Ties To Drug Trafficker.

By Samuel Rubenfeld
The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets control designated Guillermo Leon Valencia Cossio, the former regional director of the Colombian Prosectutor’s Office in Medellin, as a narcotics trafficker for his ties to druglord Daniel Rendon Herrera.

OFAC sanctions freeze all assets under U.S. jurisdiction. Herrera was designated in May 2009, and he faces federal narcotics importation and narco-terrorism conspiracy charges in the U.S. for allegedly having drug transportation networks throughout Colombia that facilitate the shipment of cocaine to the U.S. and Europe, the department said in a statement. Cossio, however, was arrested in August 2008 by Colombian authorities and is on trial for corruption and conspiracy to provide material support to drug traffickers, including Herrera.

“Today’s designation targets Guillermo Leon Valencia Cossio for his abuse of power as a public official in Colombia on behalf of Daniel Rendon Herrera’s drug trafficking organization,” said OFAC Director Adam J. Szubin in the statement.

The designation announcement came the same day as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime urged greater cooperation on stopping drug traffickers. “Drug trafficking continues to be the most lucrative line of business for criminals,” said Yuri Fedotov, a Russian diplomat who took serves as executive director of the UNODC. “Cocaine and heroin traffickers are earning almost $280 million every day, almost $12 million every hour, and almost $200,000 every minute.”

More:
http://blogs.wsj.com/corruption-currents/2010/10/19/ofac-sanctions-colombian-public-official-for-ties-to-drug-trafficker/

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http://colombiareports.com.nyud.net:8090/pics/2009/10/don_mario_valencia_cossio_col.jpg http://www.minuto30.com.nyud.net:8090/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/gabriel-angel-salaar.jpg
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News charts reveal influence of 'Don Mario'
Thursday, 15 October 2009 11:50 Ashley Hamer

Colombia's prosecution has, for the first time, disclosed two charts revealing the influence of a notorious narco-paramilitary gang fronted by boss Daniel Rendon Herrera, alias 'Don Mario'.

According to Colombian media, one of the charts applies to the accused paramilitary known as 'El Indio', considered second in command of the 'Don Mario' group, but whose photograph and information was allegedly removed from the chart by the ex-Director of Prosecution in Medellin, Guillermo León Valencia Cossio.

The prosecutor before the Supreme Court, Angela Buitrago, claimed that the amendment in the first chart demonstrates the implication of Valencia Cossio who apprently ordered the removal of the information for 'EL Indio' after being bribed by the criminals, reported news site CMI on Thursday.

Valencia Cossio's defense lawyer allegedly attempted to downplay the evidence and take the blame away from his client by stating that the National Police may be responsible for the modifications in the 'El Indio' chart.

More:
http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/6407-charts-reveal-the-influence-of-don-mario.html