A Colombian national, Gilberto Javier Apraez-Munoz, was handed a 70-month sentence in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking network that channeled significant quantities of cocaine into the United States, particularly targeting Washington, D.C. This sentence stems from his guilty plea to charges of unlawful distribution of the narcotic, involving more than 500 grams, as detailed by the U.S. Justice Department. Apraez-Munoz, also known by the alias “Veneno,” is 55 years old and hails from Puerto Milan Caquetá, Colombia. He will also be facing a deportation process after his prison term, as well as a five-year term of supervised release.
The prosecution's announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves of the District of Columbia alongside David Geist, the FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division. According to court documents, Apraez-Munoz oversaw a production facility in the Colombian jungle, indicating the scale and sophistication of his narcotics operation. In an operation that began in 2019, undercover officers and a confidential source liaised with Apraez-Munoz, culminating in the exchange of 10 kilograms worth of cocaine, as confirmed by DEA lab testing in the United States.
During his initial meeting with a confidential source and an FBI undercover officer at a cafe in Palmira, Colombia, Apraez-Munoz disclosed that he had been involved in cocaine sales since 1996 and was well-versed in the logistics of routing, pricing, and quality control. According to a press release by the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Columbia, he admitted to targeting the European and U.S. markets, with a particular emphasis on D.C. due to the need for high-quality product.
In a further meeting with an undercover officer, Apraez-Munoz showed the law enforcement operative his drug manufacturing setup hidden deep within Colombian jungle, demonstrating the intricate process of cocaine production. He assured the officer of drug's quality, guaranteeing its readiness for the streets of Washington, D.C. The case was brought to a close by the cooperative efforts of the FBI's Washington Field Office and law enforcement in Colombia, with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ernesto J. Alvarado and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nihar Mohanty from U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia spearheading the legal proceedings.
