A Colombian national, Leonar Molina-Ferro, also known as Michel, has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for drug trafficking violations, announced Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.
Molina-Ferro, 47, was convicted of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, knowing it would be imported and distributed in the United States. U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant imposed the 300-month sentence on December 19, 2023.
Court records reveal that Molina-Ferro played a key role in a Colombian-based drug cartel responsible for distributing large quantities of cocaine throughout South and Central America, with the majority destined for the United States. His primary responsibility was coordinating maritime shipments from Colombia to Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras.
The investigation, part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, identified Molina-Ferro as a significant player in the drug trade. He was apprehended at his apartment in Medellin, Colombia, on August 14, 2018, following a request for extradition by the United States.
During the arrest operation, Molina-Ferro opened fire on Colombian National Police Officers, injuring the first officer to enter the apartment. This officer was later honored by the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Texas for bravery in combating narcotics trafficking.
Molina-Ferro was extradited to the United States from Colombia on December 2, 2020, after assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché’s office at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the North Texas OCDETF Strike Force, with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wes Wynne. The OCDETF program aims to identify, disrupt, and dismantle high-level criminal organizations threatening the United States through a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
For more information about the OCDETF Program, visit https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
