TAMPA, Fla. – A Colombian national who masterminded a massive drug trafficking operation that smuggled over 43,000 kilograms of cocaine—valued at approximately $1.3 billion USD—into the United States was sentenced to 13 years and 4 months in federal prison last week in a Tampa courtroom.
U.S. District Judge Kathryn K. Mizelle handed down the sentence to Jorge Hernan Gonzalez-Ortiz, 49, of Colombia, who pleaded guilty to conspiring to import cocaine into the United States on January 14, 2025.
The Complex Smuggling Network
According to court documents, Gonzalez-Ortiz established and led the sophisticated drug trafficking organization from 2016 until 2023. The operation relied on a network of corrupt officials and airport personnel to move massive amounts of cocaine disguised in boxes of fruit onto commercial flights.
The journey began at Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport in Cali, Colombia. From there, the drug-laden flights were destined for Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport in San Andrés Island, Colombia…