A Colombian national has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in a cocaine importation conspiracy. U.S. Attorney John Giordano announced that Edgar Ruiz-Gomez, also known as "Gono," had previously pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to import five kilograms or more of cocaine into the United States.
The conspiracy involved transporting hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic between 2016 and January 2020. Ruiz-Gomez held a managerial position within the operation, which included more than five individuals.
U.S. District Judge Esther Salas also imposed a five-year supervised release term following Ruiz-Gomez's prison sentence. "My office is fully committed to employing its considerable resources to prosecuting dangerous drug organizations," stated U.S. Attorney Giordano.
The case was supported by special agents and task force officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) under Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz in Newark, as well as DEA teams operating internationally. Additional assistance came from various departments within the Justice Department and international law enforcement agencies.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations threatening the United States through a coordinated approach. It also falls under Operation Take Back America, an initiative targeting illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Farhana C. Melo represented the government in this case.