Ex-Colombian Navy Officers Extradited to U.S. Over Cocaine Smuggling Scheme

The defendants allegedly paid active-duty sailors to plant GPS trackers on Navy vessels, aiding drug traffickers in evading law enforcement.

Jair Alberto Alvarez Valenzuela and Luis Carlos Diaz Martinez were extradited to the U.S. on March 13, 2025, to face charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
Prosecutors allege the defendants recruited active-duty Colombian Navy personnel to place GPS tracking devices on four Navy vessels in exchange for payments.
Drug traffickers used the GPS data to avoid detection, directing cocaine-laden boats around Colombian Navy patrols.
The defendants are accused of working for the Gulf Clan, a powerful Colombian drug trafficking organization based in the Urabá region.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of life in federal prison under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Strike Force Initiative.