Dairo Antonio Usuga David, also known as Otoniel, the leader of the Colombian criminal group Clan del Golfo, has been sentenced to 45 years in US prison, Reuters reports.
Otoniel was found guilty of drug trafficking, shipping nearly 100,000 kg of cocaine to the US, by a judge who called him “more prolific” than late kingpin Pablo Escobar.
Otoniel sought a shorter sentence due to his impoverished childhood and acceptance of responsibility, but the judge said that many individuals faced similar circumstances and did not become cartel leaders.
Otoniel was arrested by Colombian armed forces in October 2021 and was extradited to the US in May 2022, where he pleaded guilty.
