Juan Carlos Ramírez Abadía
| Juan Carlos Ramírez Abadía | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
February 16, 1963 Palmira, Colombia |
| Other names | Chupeta, Cien, Don Augusto, El Patron, Gustavo Ortiz, Charlie Pareja |
| Criminal charge | Drug trafficking and smuggling, racketeering, money laundering |
| Criminal status | Arrested / Extradited |
Juan Carlos Ramírez Abadía (Alias "Chupeta") (born February 16, 1963 in Palmira, Colombia) is a drug trafficker who, until his capture, was one of the leaders of the North Valley Cartel (Norte del Valle Cartel), who was wanted on drug smuggling, murder and RICO charges in the United States of America. In addition to the trafficking of cocaine, it is believed Abadia also participated in money laundering and trafficking of heroin. Through Abadias' illegal enterprise, he has amassed a fortune estimated at $1.8 billion by the US Department of State. He has been cited as "... one of the most powerful and most elusive drug traffickers in Colombia" by Adam J. Szubin, Director of the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
On August 7, 2007 Ramírez Abadía was arrested in São Paulo, Brazil, in an exclusive area called Aldeia da Serra. On March 13, 2008, the Supreme Federal Court of Brazil granted his extradition to the United States. "Chupeta" was extradited to the United States on Friday, August 22, 2008.
Abadia is believed to have entered into drug trafficking in 1986 under the Cali Cartel, named after the area they operated out of, Cali Colombia, where it is believed Abadia operated his drug trafficking empire. By the mid-1990s he was believed to have smuggled "multi-thousand kilograms of cocaine" yearly into San Antonio, Texas and Los Angeles, California through Mexico. Abadias' operation is believed to rely on shipping containers and go-fast boats primarily, making use of routes along the Pacific Coast. Once the drugs arrive in their destination in the United States, it is then believed they are transported to New York City, where distribution cells controlled by Abadia then sell the product. During the mid-1990s Abadia was believed to be the youngest leader of the Cali cartel.
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