Diego Leon Montoya Sanchez
Encyclopedia
Diego León Montoya Sánchez (born January 11, 1958/1961), also known as Don Diego, is a former Colombia
n crime boss
leader of the Norte del Valle drug cartel
. On October 25, 2002, Montoya was listed as a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker on the United States Department of Treasury's Specially Designated National List (also known as La Lista Clinton)
On 6 May 2004 he became the 478th fugitive listed
by the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) on the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
list. Montoya was also wanted in Colombia, where authorities started numerous operations to capture him or his interests.
The United States Department of State
's Narcotics Rewards Program
offered reward of up to $5 million for information leading directly to his arrest or conviction, the highest amount offered at the time for a non-terrorist fugitive, effectively making the priority of his capture second only to that of Osama bin Laden
.
On 15 January 2007, Montoya's brother and co-leader of the cartel, Eugenio, was captured in Colombia. On 10 September 2007 Colombian authorities announced that they had arrested Montoya himself in the west of the country after a long manhunt.
On December 12, 2008 Montoya was extradited to Miami on a D.E.A.
helicopter
, marking the final demise of the Norte del Valle Cartel
.
Montoya has used the known aliases Diego Montoya, Diego Sanchez-Montoya, "Don Diego", "El Señor de la Guerra" (the warlord), "El Ciclista" (the cyclist).
Montoya was thought to be under the protection of the Colombian paramilitary group, United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia
Ran by Thomas Krol.
had been bribing military and police units to deactivate radars and allow the cartel to ship illegal drugs from Colombia. The newspaper El Tiempo reported that the Colombian Navy had been the most infiltrated through bribes ordered by Montoya and his men. The newspaper also revealed the possible involvement of an Admiral
of the Colombian Navy named Gabriel Arango who used his influence to support drug cartels. Arango marked documents related to this as classified and with a "horseshoe logo", authorities later found that these were the flight routes of the Norte del Valle Cartel in both Pacific Ocean and Caribbean sea coasts through Ecuador, Panama, Colombia and Venezuela.
of Zarzal
in Valle del Cauca Department
.
In a briefing by the Colombian Ministry of Defense during the presentation of Montoya to the public through Caracol TV
, the General of the Colombian Army
Mario Montoya Uribe
detailed the operation dubbed as Operation Simeón which started at 0430 hrs on 10 September 2007 after a military intelligence operation between the municipalities of Zarzal and La Unión in northern Valle del Cauca Department. General Montoya said that Montoya had a security ring in a jungle rural area. Montoya was accompanied by his mother and some 17 other close relatives.
On December 12, 2008 Montoya was extradited to Miami on a D.E.A.
helicopter
, marking the final demise of the Norte del Valle Cartel
.
He was scheduled to appear in court for 12 charges including drug trafficking, obstruction of justice, money-laundering and murder.
Approving the 45-year sentence requested by the prosecution, Judge Cecilia Altonaga said she recognised Montoya's "remorse" and his "new transition" to a life of repentance.
She also ordered Montoya to pay $500,000 in restitution to the family of Jhon Jairo Garcia, a long-time associate of Montoya who was kidnapped, tortured and murdered by the Valle del Norte cartel in 2003.
The prosecution said Montoya had ordered the killing of Jhon Jairo Garcia after accusing him of becoming an informer for US law enforcement forces.
Mr Garcia's dismembered body was found in a river near the Colombian city of Cali.
Montoya's lawyer said his client hoped his life story would send a message that drug trafficking destroyed everything in its wake.
In court documents, Montoya's defence team traced his progression from a teenager with dreams of becoming a Catholic priest to the man at the helm of a drug-trafficking ring believed to have exported $10bn worth of cocaine to the US.
Montoya points to his father's death when he was 14 years old as the catalyst which set him on the wrong path.
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n crime boss
Crime boss
A crime boss or boss is a person in charge of a criminal organization. A boss typically has absolute or near-absolute control over his subordinates, is greatly feared by his subordinates for his ruthlessness and willingness to take lives in order to exert his influence, and profits come from the...
leader of the Norte del Valle drug cartel
Norte del Valle Cartel
The Norte del Valle Cartel, or North Valley Cartel, is a drug cartel that operates principally in the north of the Valle del Cauca department of Colombia...
. On October 25, 2002, Montoya was listed as a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker on the United States Department of Treasury's Specially Designated National List (also known as La Lista Clinton)
On 6 May 2004 he became the 478th fugitive listed
FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, 2000s
-FBI Headlines in the 2000s:The 2000s started out badly for the FBI's much needed attempts to upgrade technology. First, the Trilogy project went far over the $380 million budget, and behind its three-year schedule. Then, Virtual Case File, or VCF, planned for completion in 2003, was officially...
by the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI) on the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
The FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list arose from a conversation held in late 1949 between J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, and William Kinsey Hutchinson, International News Service Editor-in-Chief, who were discussing ways to promote capture of the...
list. Montoya was also wanted in Colombia, where authorities started numerous operations to capture him or his interests.
The United States Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
's Narcotics Rewards Program
Narcotics Rewards Program
The Narcotics Rewards Program is a program of the United States Department of State that offers rewards up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of major international narcotics traffickers who send drugs into the United States...
offered reward of up to $5 million for information leading directly to his arrest or conviction, the highest amount offered at the time for a non-terrorist fugitive, effectively making the priority of his capture second only to that of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
.
On 15 January 2007, Montoya's brother and co-leader of the cartel, Eugenio, was captured in Colombia. On 10 September 2007 Colombian authorities announced that they had arrested Montoya himself in the west of the country after a long manhunt.
On December 12, 2008 Montoya was extradited to Miami on a D.E.A.
D.E.A.
D.E.A. was a short-lived television program which was aired by Fox Broadcasting Company as part of its 1990-91 lineup.D.E.A. was based on true stories of the Drug Enforcement Administration...
helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
, marking the final demise of the Norte del Valle Cartel
Norte del Valle Cartel
The Norte del Valle Cartel, or North Valley Cartel, is a drug cartel that operates principally in the north of the Valle del Cauca department of Colombia...
.
Statement from FBI
Montoya was being sought in connection with the manufacture and distribution of multiple tons of cocaine, knowing or intending that it would be imported into the United States. Montoya is reputedly one of the principal leaders of the Colombian North Valley cartel. The North Valley cartel is believed to be the most powerful and violent drug trafficking organization in Colombia. The cartel reportedly relies heavily for protection on illegal armed groups, taking help from right-wing paramilitaries as well as leftist rebels.Montoya has used the known aliases Diego Montoya, Diego Sanchez-Montoya, "Don Diego", "El Señor de la Guerra" (the warlord), "El Ciclista" (the cyclist).
Montoya was thought to be under the protection of the Colombian paramilitary group, United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia
United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia
The United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia was created as an umbrella organization of regional far-right...
Ran by Thomas Krol.
Description
| Dates of Birth Used | 11 January 1958; 11 January 1961 |
| Hair | Black |
| Place of Birth | Trujillo, Colombia |
| Eyes | Brown |
| Height | 6′ 6″ (198 cm) |
| Complexion | Medium |
| Weight | 230 pounds (104 kg) |
| Build | Heavy |
| Sex | Male |
| Race | White (Hispanic) |
| Occupation | Rancher |
| Nationality | Colombian |
| Scars and Marks | Surgical scars on his lower back and legs due to injuries sustained in an automobile accident |
Bribing of Colombian military and police forces
On 26 August 2007, the Colombian media reported that members of the Norte del Valle CartelNorte del Valle Cartel
The Norte del Valle Cartel, or North Valley Cartel, is a drug cartel that operates principally in the north of the Valle del Cauca department of Colombia...
had been bribing military and police units to deactivate radars and allow the cartel to ship illegal drugs from Colombia. The newspaper El Tiempo reported that the Colombian Navy had been the most infiltrated through bribes ordered by Montoya and his men. The newspaper also revealed the possible involvement of an Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
of the Colombian Navy named Gabriel Arango who used his influence to support drug cartels. Arango marked documents related to this as classified and with a "horseshoe logo", authorities later found that these were the flight routes of the Norte del Valle Cartel in both Pacific Ocean and Caribbean sea coasts through Ecuador, Panama, Colombia and Venezuela.
Capture
Montoya was captured on 10 September 2007 by Colombian authorities in a rural area of the municipaliltyMunicipalities of Colombia
The Municipalities of Colombia are decentralized subdivisions of the Republic of Colombia. Municipalities make up most of the departments of Colombia with 1,119 municipalities...
of Zarzal
Zarzal
Zarzal is a town and municipality located in the north of the department of Valle del Cauca, in Colombia. Its economy is based primarily on the extensive cultivation of sugar cane, on small and medium enterprises in the metallurgic sector and on utilities. Commerce is also of great importance,...
in Valle del Cauca Department
Valle del Cauca Department
Valle del Cauca is a department of Colombia. It is in the western side of the country, facing the Pacific Ocean, and it is considered one of the most important departments in the Republic of Colombia. Its capital is Santiago de Cali...
.
In a briefing by the Colombian Ministry of Defense during the presentation of Montoya to the public through Caracol TV
Caracol TV
Caracol Televisión is a Colombian private national television network, owned by Julio Mario Santo Domingo.- History :Caracol Televisión started in 1954 when Organización de Radiodifusora Caracol offered to afford national television costs, then state-run, through commercial spots...
, the General of the Colombian Army
Colombian Army
The National Army of Colombia is the land military force of the government of Colombia and the largest service of the Colombian Armed Forces...
Mario Montoya Uribe
Mario Montoya Uribe
Mario Montoya Uribe was a Colombian military General and Commander of the Colombian National Army until his resignation on November 4, 2008 following a scandal involving the deaths of 11 civilians at the hands of the military. Montoya holds a graduate title in Top management from the Los Andes...
detailed the operation dubbed as Operation Simeón which started at 0430 hrs on 10 September 2007 after a military intelligence operation between the municipalities of Zarzal and La Unión in northern Valle del Cauca Department. General Montoya said that Montoya had a security ring in a jungle rural area. Montoya was accompanied by his mother and some 17 other close relatives.
Extradition
On May 19, 2008 Colombian Interior and Justice ex Minister Carlos Holguin announced that 'Don Diego', together with some prominent paramilitary leaders, will be extradited to the United States. The extradition will take place in "the coming few days", says the Minister.On December 12, 2008 Montoya was extradited to Miami on a D.E.A.
D.E.A.
D.E.A. was a short-lived television program which was aired by Fox Broadcasting Company as part of its 1990-91 lineup.D.E.A. was based on true stories of the Drug Enforcement Administration...
helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
, marking the final demise of the Norte del Valle Cartel
Norte del Valle Cartel
The Norte del Valle Cartel, or North Valley Cartel, is a drug cartel that operates principally in the north of the Valle del Cauca department of Colombia...
.
He was scheduled to appear in court for 12 charges including drug trafficking, obstruction of justice, money-laundering and murder.
Sentencing
On Wednesday the 21st of October, 2009, a federal judge in Miami sentenced Montoya to 45 years in Prison. Montoya had pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to import cocaine and obstruction of justice in August. In court on Wednesday, Montoya apologised for his role in the cocaine trade, saying that he had "come to the conclusion that there is nothing I could ever do to repair the great harm I have caused".
It is my sincere hope to be able to bring relief to my family and the families of the victims and bring their nightmare to a conclusion
-- Diego Montoya
Approving the 45-year sentence requested by the prosecution, Judge Cecilia Altonaga said she recognised Montoya's "remorse" and his "new transition" to a life of repentance.
She also ordered Montoya to pay $500,000 in restitution to the family of Jhon Jairo Garcia, a long-time associate of Montoya who was kidnapped, tortured and murdered by the Valle del Norte cartel in 2003.
The prosecution said Montoya had ordered the killing of Jhon Jairo Garcia after accusing him of becoming an informer for US law enforcement forces.
Mr Garcia's dismembered body was found in a river near the Colombian city of Cali.
Montoya's lawyer said his client hoped his life story would send a message that drug trafficking destroyed everything in its wake.
In court documents, Montoya's defence team traced his progression from a teenager with dreams of becoming a Catholic priest to the man at the helm of a drug-trafficking ring believed to have exported $10bn worth of cocaine to the US.
Montoya points to his father's death when he was 14 years old as the catalyst which set him on the wrong path.
See also
- FBI Ten Most Wanted FugitivesFBI Ten Most Wanted FugitivesThe FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list arose from a conversation held in late 1949 between J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, and William Kinsey Hutchinson, International News Service Editor-in-Chief, who were discussing ways to promote capture of the...
- Narcotrafficking in Colombia
- Norte del Valle CartelNorte del Valle CartelThe Norte del Valle Cartel, or North Valley Cartel, is a drug cartel that operates principally in the north of the Valle del Cauca department of Colombia...
- List of crime bosses convicted in the 21st century
External links
- The Internet Wayback Machine's archive of Montoya' FBI top ten most wanted poster
- http://www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/actions/20021025.shtml#content
- America’s Most Wanted file on Montoya Sánchez
- U.S. Department of State rewards page for Montoya Sánchez
- U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) page on Montoya Sánchez
- BBC reported that relatives of Montoya Sánchez were arrested in Colombia (January 11, 2004)