By Luc Cohen

NEW YORK(Reuters) – The man who was once Colombia’s most wanted drug lord pleaded guilty Tuesday to U.S. accusations of drug distribution and aiding terrorist organizations as part of a $1 billion cocaine empire.

U.S. officials have announced that Daniel Rendon Herrera (56) has admitted to trafficking at most 73,645 kilograms (881 tons), of cocaine, which caused addiction and death in both his country and the United States.

Prosecutors said the defendant was also leader of a group known as the Urabenos along with Dairo Antonio Usuga, an alleged Colombian drug kingpin known as Otoniel who was captured last month in what officials in Colombia called a blow to trafficking https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/colombia-armed-forces-capture-top-drug-trafficker-otoniel-sources-2021-10-23.

Herrera, also known as Don Mario entered his plea in front of U.S. District Judge Dora Irizarry, Brooklyn. In the United States, Herrera was accused of shipping cocaine into U.S. territory and purchasing weapons for paramilitary fighters that he led.

Rendon Herrera, an interpreter for Irizarry stated that he had joined forces with others to collect tax on the transport of coke.

He faces life in prison, a mandatory minimum sentence in 20 years and more than $47,000,000 in forfeiture.

Rendon Herrera was arrested https://www.reuters.com/article/us-colombia-drugs/colombia-captures-top-drug-lord-don-mario-idUSTRE53E5UE20090415 in the Colombian jungle in 2009, and was extradited https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/colombian-drug-kingpin-extradited-united-states-face-charges-operating-continuing to the United States in 2018. He had previously pleaded guilty.

Irizarry indicated that Rendon Herrera is likely to be deported due to his plea. He may also be given credit for time in Colombian jails at sentencing.

According to the prosecution, he could face a sentence in Colombia for drug trafficking and weapons violations as well as “numerous” murders.

Usuga (50) eventually rose to the top of the Urabenos also called the Clan del Golfo. Bogota promised to quickly extradite Usuga from Colombia to face charges of drug trafficking.