Tampa, FL – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney has announced that Ciro Ivan Preciado-Marquinez, a 37-year-old Colombian national, has pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine on the high seas aboard vessels under United States jurisdiction. Preciado faces a minimum sentence of 10 years and could be sentenced to life in federal prison. The sentencing date is yet to be determined.
Court documents reveal that in 2018, Preciado was responsible for hiring, paying, and providing logistical support to mariners on two maritime vessels intercepted by the United States Coast Guard in the Pacific Ocean. Authorities recovered 941 kilograms of cocaine from these vessels.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative aimed at establishing permanent multi-agency task force teams. These teams work collaboratively in shared locations, allowing agents from various agencies to engage in intelligence-driven operations targeting significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
The OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force specifically focuses on disrupting and dismantling Transnational Criminal Organizations involved in large-scale drug trafficking and related activities. It comprises agents and officers from the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney David Pardo is prosecuting the case.