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The Department of Justice has announced that a high-level member of a notorious Colombian drug cartel has pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute large quantities of cocaine intended for the United States.
Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, Clan del Golfo (CDG) is one of Colombia’s most powerful cartels, often described as a modern paramilitary-mafia hybrid. Originally formed by remnants of demobilized right-wing paramilitary groups in the mid-2000s, CDG built its empire through drug trafficking, illegal mining, arms smuggling, and extortion. The group controls key cocaine routes through Colombia’s Caribbean coast and has deep ties to transnational criminal networks, especially in Mexico and Central America. While Colombian authorities have targeted CDG leadership in recent years, rumors persist that the group maintains protection from corrupt officials and even elements within the military.
What’s going on now: In an announcement, the DOJ confirmed that Fabian Edilson Torres Caranton, a high-ranking member of CDG, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute cocaine into the United States. According to the Justice Department, Torres Caranton operated as a coordinator and intermediary for the CDG’s Bloque Roberto Vargas Gutierrez, a violent and powerful faction of the cartel responsible for large-scale cocaine trafficking. Officials stated that Torres played a central role in organizing and overseeing the production and transport of massive quantities of cocaine through Colombia and Central America, ultimately destined for distribution in U.S. markets.
The DOJ said that Torres Caranton was involved in a 2018 meeting near Caucasia, Colombia, where he and another CDG member authorized the production of over 1,000lbs of cocaine for Mexican buyers, with the ultimate goal of smuggling it into the United States. He then spent several days at a secret lab in Coralito, Colombia, monitoring the cocaine production process.
According to the DOJ, their investigation revealed that Torres coordinated two separate cocaine shipments—totaling over 750lbs—delivered to an undercover officer in Colombia. The drugs were intended for delivery to Houston, Texas.
With his guilty plea, Torres Caranton faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum of life. Sentencing is scheduled for August 4th.
