Colombian Duo Pleads Guilty to Massive US Cocaine Plot
Mauricio Mazabel-Soto, 45, and Alfredo Molina-Cutiva, 53, both from Colombia, have admitted to conspiring to flood the US with tonnes of cocaine. The bombshell was announced by US Attorney Matthew M. Graves and DEA Acting Regional Director Omar Arellano.
High-Stakes Drug Deal Tied to Terror Group FARC
The pair were caught after a 2018 DEA probe into drug traffickers linked to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Mazabel-Soto claimed he represented FARC in big cocaine deals, while Molina-Cutiva was said to manage FARC drug operations in southwestern Colombia.
The suspects also boasted about running all FARC cocaine labs in Huila and Caqueta regions, smuggling drugs across Ecuador’s border, and shipping them north through the Pacific Ocean.
Secret Meetings Reveal Shocking Details of Cocaine Business
During a series of spy-recorded meetings, Mazabel-Soto and Molina-Cutiva offered to produce vast amounts of cocaine for what they thought was a major Mexican cartel. They proposed that the cartel invest $2 million to build a cocaine lab, with rights to the production.
The deal included a giveaway: the first 1,000 kilos free, then regular shipments of 1,000 kilos every few weeks at $1,600 per kilo. They even planned to stamp the cocaine with logos—including the Detroit Tigers baseball team emblem.
Arrests, Extraditions and Long Sentences Loom
In April 2019, Mazabel-Soto showcased a 5-kilo cocaine sample in Bogotá, accepting $11,000. Tests revealed it was 96% pure. He was arrested in Colombia in June 2019 and extradited to the US in April 2021. Molina-Cutiva was arrested two months later and extradited in January 2021. A third co-defendant is still awaiting extradition.
Both men pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute at least 1,000 kilos of cocaine. They now face up to 40 years behind bars and hefty fines. Sentences will be decided by a federal judge after reviewing US sentencing guidelines.
