The former partner of ex-President Alvaro Uribe‘s late brother was “at the center of an international narco-trafficking ring,” U.S. authorities said Thursday.
Dolly Cifuentes was extradited to New York, United States on Tuesday and charged before a Florida court on Wednesday.
“As alleged, Dolly Cifuentes, along with her brother Jorge, was at the center of an international narco-trafficking ring that conspired to import multi ton-quantities of cocaine into the United States,” U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a press release issued by the U.S. Attoney’s Office.
According to the charges, Cifuentes, her brother and members of the Mexican Sinaloa cartel were “using sophisticated drug trafficking routes to distribute multi-ton cocaine loads from Colombia through Central America, for ultimate distribution in Mexico and the United States.”
“This case proves once again that we will not rest in our efforts to bring to justice any individual involved in drug trafficking anywhere in the world. The extradition of Cifuentes-Villas (sic) is a testimony of what can be accomplished in our fight against drugs, and the positive outcomes resulting from the cooperation of law enforcement authorities here in the United States and in Colombia,” a Miami DEA agent said.
Cifuentes was charged with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute narcotics by a Miami court and also faces charges of conspiracy to import cocaine into the U.S. by a New York court.
Cifuentes was the extramarital partner of Jaime Alberto Uribe, the former president’s brother, who died in 2001. Ana Maria Uribe, the daughter of the former president’s brother and his extramarital lover, is also wanted by the U.S. There has been contradictory reports whether the former president’s niece is detained or fugitive.
The charges relate to Cifuentes’ alleged involvement in drug trafficking since 2003, two years after the death of Uribe.
Colombia’s former president denies having known about his relation with Cifuentes and the existence of his niece.