A notorious Colombian drug lord was extradited to New York and hit with international drug trafficking charges in Brooklyn federal court Tuesday.
Daniel “Don Mario” Rendon-Herrera — who was once famed for wearing flashy designer suits, a new Rolex every day and lighting cigars with $100 bills — was hauled into court wearing a faded black Adidas sweatshirt and track pants and pleaded not guilty.
Rendon-Herrera flew into the Big Apple early Monday — nine years after he was arrested for running a drug trafficking paramilitary gang that prosecutors say shipped huge quantities of cocaine around the world and killed those who stood in its way.
“Rendon-Herrera led a major Colombian drug trafficking enterprise that imported tons of cocaine into the United States and employed hitmen who carried out acts of violence across North and South America in furtherance of the organization,” US Attorney Richard Donoghue said in a statement Tuesday.
The 54-year-old’s paramilitary group Los Urabenos — formerly Clan Usuga — trafficked “multi-ton shipments of cocaine” to the US, and also did a roaring local trade by taxing every kilogram of coke that made its way through the group’s territory, prosecutors allege.
The narco-terrorist outfit also employed hitmen “who committed murders, assaults, kidnappings and assassinations” to collect on debts and expand its control across Colombia and enhance it reputation, the indictment charges.
Rendon-Herrera’s gang was formerly co-commanded by his brother Freddy as part of larger right-wing paramilitary group the United Self-Defenders of Colombia, which used drug money to bankroll its fights with left-wing guerrilla groups and took over many of Pablo Escobar’s trafficking routes when he died in 1993, according to Colombia Reports.
But while Freddy and other leaders demobilized in 2006 under a peace treaty that promised amnesty from extradition and other perks in exchange for their surrender — Rendon-Herrera fled back to the jungle and took charge, filling the power vacuum and continuing the reign of terror.
His hitmen allegedly offered $1,200 in exchange for the severed heads of cops and executed farmers who wouldn’t give up their banana plantations to grow coca, according to the Independent.
Rendon-Herrera was eventually caught in 2009 – thanks in part to the US funding Colombia’s drug enforcement operations – and sentenced to 20 years for homicide, forced disappearance, torture, kidnapping, drug trafficking and forced displacement.
President Juan Manuel Santos agreed to his extradition to the US in December last year, saying Rendon-Herrera had continued to run his group from behind bars, according to Colombia Reports.
Rendon-Herrera said at the time that his extradition would leave thousands of crimes he committed go unsolved – and let crooked politicians who were involved off the hook.
He was remanded on Tuesday and is due back in court on May 21.