A top lieutenant in Colombia’s Norte del Valle cocaine cartel has
pleaded guilty to U.S. drug and obstruction of justice charges.
Eugenio Montoya Sanchez entered the plea Friday in Miami federal
court. The 38-year-old is the brother of alleged North Valley
mastermind Diego Montoya Sanchez, who is awaiting trial in Miami.
The
younger Montoya admitted handling financing, money laundering and
coordination of multi-ton cocaine shipments to the U.S. He faces a
minimum of 10 years in prison, with prosecutors recommending 30 years.
A U.S.-Colombian extradition agreement prohibits a life sentence.
The
North Valley cartel became Colombia’s most powerful in the mid-1990s
after the dismantling of the earlier Medellin and Cali cartels. (AP)