NEWARK, NJ — A Colombian national, Raul Orlando Torres Cubides, also known as “Jose Jota”, has been sentenced to 178 months in federal prison for his leadership role in a long-running international cocaine trafficking conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
The 57-year-old pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas to one count of conspiracy to import five kilograms or more of cocaine. In addition to his nearly 15-year prison term, Cubides will serve five years of supervised release.
Between 2016 and January 2020, Cubides helped manage a large-scale drug trafficking ring that smuggled hundreds of kilograms of cocaine into the United States from Colombia, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic. Prosecutors confirmed Cubides acted in a managerial capacity, overseeing at least five other conspirators.
The case was brought under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program, a Justice Department initiative aimed at dismantling high-level criminal networks through coordinated, intelligence-driven operations.
The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), with support from agents based in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. The U.S. Marshals Service, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and Colombian law enforcement also contributed to the successful operation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Farhana C. Melo, from the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark, prosecuted the case.
This sentencing marks a major success in the ongoing effort to disrupt global narcotics supply chains targeting U.S. communities.
