NY judge sentences ‘prolific’ Colombian drug lord to 45 years

A Colombian drug lord who ran a ruthless international cocaine peddling operation was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison on Tuesday — with the judge labeling him a dealer “more prolific than Pablo Escobar.”

Dairo Antonio Úsuga David, 51, was also ordered to pay $216 million in forfeiture after pleading guilty in January to running for a decade the violent Clan Del Golfo cartel and paramilitary group that smuggled tons of cocaine into the US.

“There have been many drug dealers who were more prolific than Pablo Esobar — including your client,” Brooklyn federal Judge Dora Irizarry noted, referring to the infamous Colombian drug lord and narcoterrorist, before she handed down the sentence.

His defense attorneys had sought a 25-year term, but federal prosecutors argued he should be sentenced to 45 years behind bars — noting the sheer amount of cocaine he trafficked to the US and the cold-blooded killings he ordered during his reign.

Úsuga David put bounties on the heads of every police officer in the country — including one for $70,000 on the head of a police canine that was used in a drug bust.

He also once had an informant buried alive before beheading him.

“He is the most dangerous terrorist and notorious narcotic trafficker in Colombia since Pablo Escobar,” Brooklyn Assistant US Attorney Francisco Navarro said.

In a statement at Tuesday’s hearing, Úsuga David called for peace in Colombia and apologized to the court, his wife, family and to the governments of the US and Colombia for his actions.

“To the people and youth of Columbia, I advise them to not take the path I’ve taken,” he said. “We should leave all conflicts and weapons in the past.”

Dubbed “the most dangerous drug trafficker in the world” by Colombian President Ivan Duque, Úsuga David was a leader in the cartel — which had as many as 6,000 members at times — beginning in 2003 before he rose to helm the group in 2012.

Prosecutors said Úsuga David, of Antioquia, Colombia, ran the cartel like a paramilitary force that had control over vast swaths of the Urabá region up until his capture in 2021.

He held onto his power by ruling with an iron fist, ordering the assassinations and torture of rival cartel members, suspected traitors, government cooperators and even law enforcement members, the feds said.

When his brother was killed during a police raid in 2012, Úsuga David ordered the towns the group controlled to shut down businesses and keep residents inside, telling his hitmen — called “sicarios” — to kill anyone who disobeyed, according to prosecutors.

Úsuga David, also known as Otoniel, had been on the lam for a decade before being captured on Oct. 23, 2021, — evading Colombia’s military by corrupting state officials and forming alliances with combatants from both the left and the right.

Úsuga David had faced between 20 years to life in prison following his guilty plea to three counts: engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise as a leader of the multibillion-dollar paramilitary and drug trafficking organization; engaging in a maritime narcotics conspiracy; and engaging in a narcotics importation conspiracy.

His lawyer Paul Nalven asked for leniency since their client “should be acknowledged for accepting responsibility sooner than others did.”

Úsuga David’s other lawyer Alexei Schacht said he didn’t think his client would survive long “living in a box” in prison.

The judge ultimately slapped him with 45 years for each of the counts he pleaded guilty to, with the sentences set to run at the same time.

Before handing down the punishment, Irizarry expressed skepticism about letters of support written by residents of the Central American country who claimed Úsuga David had benefitted their community.

She said the letters may have been written in “fear of retaliation” and that even if the drug lord had done positive acts for the community, it didn’t negate the harm he unleashed.

“John Gotti was loved by his community, throwing beach parties at Howard Beach — and in the same breadth, he ordered people murdered,” Irizarry said, comparing Úsuga David to the infamous New York mobster.

The judge also noted the incredible manpower required to extradite the kingpin to the US in May 2022 — including 22 helicopters and 500 soldiers — because of the corruption and influence he had in his home country.

Úsuga David faced indictments in Manhattan and in Miami federal courts on narcotics charges, but those cases were transferred to Brooklyn as part of his plea deal.

“The human misery caused by the defendant’s incredibly violent, vengeful, and bloody reign as leader of the Clan de Golfo drug trafficking organization may never be fully calculated due to its magnitude,” Brooklyn US Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement.

“But today’s lengthy sentence delivers appropriate justice and sends a message to other paramilitary and cartel leaders that the United States will seek their arrest and extradition in order to hold them accountable in our courts of law.”