- Diego León Montoya Sánchez
-
Diego León Montoya Sánchez 
FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives Charges In Colombia: Drug trafficking and smuggling, racketeering, money laundering, Comformation of paramilitary groups in Colombia. In the United States: Conspiracy to import and possess with intent to deliver weed cocaine; Possession with intent to deliver cocaine; Money laundering; Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) – Drug trafficking; Conspiracy to distribute or manufacture cocaine abroad with knowledge or intent that it be imported into the United States Alias Don Diego Description Born January 11, 1958
or January 11, 1961
Trujillo, ColombiaOccupation Leader of the Norte del Valle Cartel Criminal Status Status Captured Added 6 May 2004 Caught 10 September 2007 Number 478 Captured Diego León Montoya Sánchez (born January 11, 1958/1961), also known as Don Diego, is a former Colombian crime boss leader of the Norte del Valle drug cartel. On October 25, 2002, Montoya was listed as a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker on the United States Department of Treasury's Specially Designated National List (also known as La Lista Clinton)[1]
On 6 May 2004 he became the 478th fugitive listed by the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.[2] Montoya was also wanted in Colombia, where authorities started numerous operations to capture him or his interests.[3]
The United States Department of State's Narcotics Rewards Program offered reward of up to $5 million for information leading directly to his arrest or conviction, the highest amount offered at the time for a non-terrorist fugitive, effectively making the priority of his capture second only to that of Osama bin Laden.
On 15 January 2007, Montoya's brother and co-leader of the cartel, Eugenio, was captured in Colombia.[4] On 10 September 2007 Colombian authorities announced that they had arrested Montoya himself in the west of the country after a long manhunt.[5][6]
On December 12, 2008 Montoya was extradited to Miami on a D.E.A. helicopter, marking the final demise of the Norte del Valle Cartel. [7]
Contents
Statement from FBI
Montoya was being sought in connection with the manufacture and distribution of multiple tons of cocaine, knowing or intending that it would be imported into the United States. Montoya is reputedly one of the principal leaders of the Colombian North Valley cartel. The North Valley cartel is believed to be the most powerful and violent drug trafficking organization in Colombia. The cartel reportedly relies heavily for protection on illegal armed groups, taking help from right-wing paramilitaries as well as leftist rebels.
Montoya has used the known aliases Diego Montoya, Diego Sanchez-Montoya, "Don Diego", "El Señor de la Guerra" (the warlord), "El Ciclista" (the cyclist).
Montoya was thought to be under the protection of the Colombian paramilitary group, United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia Ran by Thomas Krol.
Description
Dates of Birth Used 11 January 1958; 11 January 1961 Hair Black Place of Birth Trujillo, Colombia Eyes Brown Height 6′ 6″ (198 cm) Complexion Medium Weight 230 pounds (104 kg) Build Heavy Sex Male Race White (Hispanic) Occupation Rancher Nationality Colombian Scars and Marks Surgical scars on his lower back and legs due to injuries sustained in an automobile accident Bribing of Colombian military and police forces
On 26 August 2007, the Colombian media reported that members of the Norte del Valle Cartel had been bribing military and police units to deactivate radars and allow the cartel to ship illegal drugs from Colombia. The newspaper El Tiempo reported that the Colombian Navy had been the most infiltrated through bribes ordered by Montoya and his men. The newspaper also revealed the possible involvement of an Admiral of the Colombian Navy named Gabriel Arango who used his influence to support drug cartels. Arango marked documents related to this as classified and with a "horseshoe logo", authorities later found that these were the flight routes of the Norte del Valle Cartel in both Pacific Ocean and Caribbean sea coasts through Ecuador, Panama, Colombia and Venezuela.[8]
Capture
Montoya was captured on 10 September 2007 by Colombian authorities in a rural area of the municipalilty of Zarzal in Valle del Cauca Department.[6]
In a briefing by the Colombian Ministry of Defense during the presentation of Montoya to the public through Caracol TV, the General of the Colombian Army Mario Montoya Uribe detailed the operation dubbed as Operation Simeón which started at 0430 hrs on 10 September 2007 after a military intelligence operation between the municipalities of Zarzal and La Unión in northern Valle del Cauca Department. General Montoya said that Montoya had a security ring in a jungle rural area. Montoya was accompanied by his mother and some 17 other close relatives.
Extradition
On May 19, 2008 Colombian Interior and Justice ex Minister Carlos Holguin announced that 'Don Diego', together with some prominent paramilitary leaders, will be extradited to the United States. The extradition will take place in "the coming few days", says the Minister.[9]
On December 12, 2008 Montoya was extradited to Miami on a D.E.A. helicopter, marking the final demise of the Norte del Valle Cartel. [7] He is scheduled to appear in court of 15 December for 12 charges including drug trafficking, obstruction of justice, money-laundering and murder.[10]
Sentencing
On Wednesday the 21st of October, 2009, a federal judge in Miami sentenced Montoya to 45 years in Prison. Montoya had pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to import cocaine and obstruction of justice in August. In court on Wednesday, Montoya apologised for his role in the cocaine trade, saying that he had "come to the conclusion that there is nothing I could ever do to repair the great harm I have caused".
It is my sincere hope to be able to bring relief to my family and the families of the victims and bring their nightmare to a conclusion -- Diego Montoya
Approving the 45-year sentence requested by the prosecution, Judge Cecilia Altonaga said she recognised Montoya's "remorse" and his "new transition" to a life of repentance. She also ordered Montoya to pay $500,000 in restitution to the family of Jhon Jairo Garcia, a long-time associate of Montoya who was kidnapped, tortured and murdered by the Valle del Norte cartel in 2003. The prosecution said Montoya had ordered the killing of Jhon Jairo Garcia after accusing him of becoming an informer for US law enforcement forces. Mr Garcia's dismembered body was found in a river near the Colombian city of Cali.
Montoya's lawyer said his client hoped his life story would send a message that drug trafficking destroyed everything in its wake. In court documents, Montoya's defence team traced his progression from a teenager with dreams of becoming a Catholic priest to the man at the helm of a drug-trafficking ring believed to have exported $10bn worth of cocaine to the US. Montoya points to his father's death when he was 14 years old as the catalyst which set him on the wrong path.
See also
- FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
- Narcotrafficking in Colombia
- Norte del Valle Cartel
- List of crime bosses convicted in the 21st century
References
- ^ http://www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/actions/20021025.shtml#content
- ^ FBI ADDS COLOMBIAN DRUG CARTEL LEADER TO MOST WANTED FUGITIVE LIST, FBI Headline Archives,05/06/04
- ^ (Spanish) Direccion Nacional de Estupefacientes; Inmuebles incautados a Don Diego
- ^ WHDH-TV - World News - Colombia's police arrest major drug kingpin
- ^ "Colombian 'drug lord' is captured". BBC News. 2007-09-11. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6987953.stm. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
- ^ a b (Spanish) El Tiempo: Ministerio de Defensa confirma captura de importante miembro del Cartel del Norte del Valle eltiempo.com Accessed 10 September 2007.
- ^ a b "Despegó vuelo de la DEA que lleva extraditado a E.U. a 'Don Diego'". El Tiempo www.eltiempo.com. December 12, 2008. http://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/justicia/despego-vuelo-de-la-dea-que-lleva-extraditado-a-eu-a-don-diego_4719704-1.
- ^ (Spanish) El Tiempo: Para desactivar radares de la Armada, Diego Montoya, alias 'Don Diego', pagó sobornos eltiempo.com Accessed 10 September 2007.
- ^ "More extraditions in the coming days". Colombia Reports. May 19, 2008. http://colombiareports.com/2008/05/19/more-extraditions-in-the-coming-days/.
- ^ "Colombia hands 'drug lord' to US". BBC News. 2008-12-12. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7780895.stm. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
External links
- The Internet Wayback Machine's archive of Montoya' FBI top ten most wanted poster
- [1]
- America’s Most Wanted file on Montoya Sánchez
- U.S. Department of State rewards page for Montoya Sánchez
- U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) page on Montoya Sánchez
- BBC reported that relatives of Montoya Sánchez were arrested in Colombia (January 11, 2004)
Categories:- FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
- 1958 births
- Living people
- Colombian mob bosses
- North Valley cartel traffickers
- Colombian drug traffickers
- Colombian people imprisoned abroad
- Prisoners and detainees of the United States federal government
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