Guatemalan National Extradited to US to Face Cocaine Trafficking, Maritime Smuggling Charges

Guatemalan national Rafael Orlando Ramirez Barillas was extradited to the U.S. from Guatemala to face cocaine trafficking and maritime smuggling charges in California, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California said. Barillas appeared in court Feb. 17 and was ordered detained pending his trial. The Department of Justice alleges that Barillas was a leader in a two-year conspiracy to amass cocaine in Guatemala with the ultimate goal of sending it to the U.S. During the investigation into this conspiracy, the Coast Guard seized multiple shipments of cocaine from vessels in international waters that were linked to Barillas, DOJ said.

“This office is committed to aggressively pursuing drug traffickers in Central America who use international waters as a corridor to smuggle cocaine to the United States,” U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman said. “This extradition marks the culmination of years of efforts by agents and prosecutors to keep those who flood the United States with cocaine accountable for their actions.”