Narco-Terrorism Charges Added to Indictment of Colombian Paramilitary Leader and...

Narco-Terrorism Charges Added to Indictment of Colombian Paramilitary Leader
and Narcotics Kingpin

WASHINGTON, June 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Lev L. Dassin, Acting United
States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the
return of a superseding indictment charging Daniel Rendon-Herrera, aka "Don
Mario," aka "El Viejo," aka "El Tio," aka "La Senora" -- a leader of the
Colombian terrorist group Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC) -- with
narco-terrorism conspiracy. Rendon-Herrera, who was designated by the
President as a Foreign Narcotics Kingpin on May 29, 2009, had previously been
charged in this District with conspiring to provide material support to a
foreign terrorist organization and to import thousands of kilograms of cocaine
into the United States.

According to the superseding indictment returned today, which adds the
narco-terrorism charge to a previously filed indictment in this case:

The AUC is a Colombian right-wing paramilitary and drug-trafficking
organization, designated by the State Department as both a Foreign Terrorist
Organization and a Specially-Designated Global Terrorist Organization. The AUC
is engaged in armed conflict with the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarios de
Colombia (FARC), Colombia's main left-wing guerilla group, and seeks to remove
FARC sympathizers from positions of power and influence in Colombia. To
support its political and terrorist objectives, the AUC involves itself in
narcotics trafficking, for example by "taxing" narcotics traffickers operating
in areas under AUC control. The AUC uses the narcotics proceeds to secure
military-grade arms, including automatic assault rifles and grenades. Prior
to his capture by Colombian National Police on April 15, 2009, Rendon-Herrera
was the leader of a "Bloque" of 5,000 armed AUC paramilitary fighters
responsible for establishing and maintaining AUC control over the Cordoba and
Antioquia regions of Colombia. Rendon-Herrera helped finance his Bloque's
terrorist activities, which included the kidnapping of civilians, by levying a
"tax" on cocaine that he permitted to pass through areas under his Bloque's
control.

Under the superseding indictment, Rendon-Herrera, 44, is now charged with
conspiracy to distribute narcotics with intent to support terrorism
(prohibited by the 2006 Federal Narco-Terrorism statute); conspiracy to
provide material support to the AUC, a foreign terrorist organization; and
conspiracy to import narcotics into the United States. Rendon-Herrera faces a
maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 20
years in prison on the narco-terrorism charge; a maximum sentence of 15 years
in prison on the material support charge; and a maximum sentence of life in
prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison on the narcotics
importation charge.

The case is assigned to United States District Judge Loretta A. Preska.
Rendon-Herrera is currently in custody in Colombia under Colombian charges.

Mr. Dassin praised the outstanding investigative work of the Drug Enforcement
Administration's Bogota Country Office and the New York Drug Enforcement Task
Force -- which is comprised of agents and officers of the DEA, the New York
City Police Department, and the New York State Police -- as well as the work
of the Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement. Mr. Dassin also thanked the Colombian National Police and the
Department of Justice's Office of International Affairs for their ongoing
assistance.

The prosecution is being handled by the Office's International Narcotics
Trafficking Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin A. Naftalis and
Jocelyn E. Strauber are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations
and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice

Yusill Scribner, Rebekah Carmichael, Janice Oh, +1-212-637-2600, all of the
Office of Acting United States Attorney Lev L. Dassin, Southern District of
New York