Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney has announced the successful takedown of a major transnational criminal organization based out of La Guajira, the desolate peninsula straddling the Venezuelan and Colombian border. This group, referred to as the Socrates Barros-Fince Transnational Criminal Organization, was caught transporting shipments of cocaine destined for markets in the United States and Europe, according to a press release from the Department of Justice.
At the heart of the operation was Socrates Gabriel Barros-Fince, also known by numerous aliases including “Chunchun” and “El Loco,” who received a 17-year prison sentence. The organization's reach extended to include smuggling routes to the Dominican Republic and Spain. In an extensive operation, law enforcement agencies have been able to seize substantial quantities of the drug: around 6,700 kilograms linked to the group's activities that have been prosecuted both in the United States and elsewhere, as per the Department of Justice.
The investigation's outcome was marked by several key seizures, including roughly 932 kilograms of cocaine near the Dominican Republic and the interdiction of a go-fast vessel in the Caribbean Sea on November 9-10, 2016, smuggling around 700 kilograms of cocaine, as the release details. Another significant intercept occurred off the coast of Galicia, Spain, on April 25, 2020, with the apprehension of the M/V KARAR vessel and around 4,000 kilograms of cocaine aboard, leading to arrests encompassing 15 crew members and a number of Spanish organized crime affiliates.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America, a bold initiative marshaled by the Department of Justice, aiming at stifling the influx of illegal narcotics, wiping out the cartels, and safeguarding the communities from violent criminal enterprises. The collaborative effort includes agencies such as the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Homeland Security Investigations, with international support provided by the Colombian and Spanish law enforcement.
The execution of the operation and subsequent prosecutions are a result of collaborative efforts between multiple organizations and international partners. The Office of the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, backed by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza, is leading the prosecution. This outcome represents a significant blow to drug trafficking networks and transnational crime, according to the DOJ statement.
