TAMPA, Fla. – Cristian Javier Vente Ocoro, 39, of Colombia, also known as “Shrek,” “Happy,” and “Teletubis,” has pleaded guilty to conspiring to traffic cocaine on vessels subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, announced United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.
Vente Ocoro faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison. He was apprehended in Colombia in September 2023 at the request of the United States and extradited a year later. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
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According to the plea agreement, Vente Ocoro was a key figure in a drug trafficking organization that smuggled cocaine from South America to Central America and Mexico. A significant portion of this cocaine was destined for entry points along the United States/Mexico border. His role included handling logistics, planning smuggling operations, and recruiting and paying crew members.
Investigators linked Vente Ocoro to two failed smuggling attempts in 2019. The first, on June 25, 2019, involved 1,090 kilograms of cocaine, and the second, on July 31, 2019, involved 2,125 kilograms.
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This prosecution is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, a multi-agency effort designed to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking, money laundering, gang, and transnational criminal organizations. The initiative fosters collaboration between different law enforcement agencies to conduct intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations.
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