TOPSHOT - A Colombian Army soldier stands next to packages of seized cocaine during a press conference at a Military Base in Bahia Solano, department of Choco, Colombia, on March 14, 2015. A joint operation between Colombia's Army and Air Force, intercepted a boat near the municipality of Nuqui, west of the country, with 583 kilos of cocaine which, according to authorities, belonged to the criminal gang "Clan Usuga" and was going to be sent to Central America. AFP PHOTO / LUIS ROBAYO (Photo by Luis ROBAYO / AFP) (Photo by LUIS ROBAYO/AFP via Getty Images)
Los Angeles, California – Two senior members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (FARC-EP), a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization, have been indicted on federal charges for their roles in an international cocaine and arms trafficking operation, the U.S. Department of Justice announced. The superseding indictment, unsealed on May 5, accuses Iván Jacobo Idrobo Arredondo, 39, also known as “Marlon Vásquez,” and Juan Diego Palta Montero, 26, a.k.a. “Ñeque,” of leading a vast cocaine-manufacturing ring that exchanged narcotics for weapons intended for terrorist activity in Colombia.
The charges include conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organization, conspiracy to engage in narco-terrorism, manufacturing and distributing cocaine for illegal importation, and conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Idrobo faces an additional count related to possession of weapons, including machine guns and destructive devices. Both men remain at large in Colombia.
According to prosecutors, FARC-EP emerged after rejecting Colombia’s 2016 peace agreement with the original FARC group and has since become the country’s most violent dissident faction. The group is responsible for assassinations, kidnappings, attacks on infrastructure, and armed assaults against Colombian and U.S. targets. FARC-EP is also heavily involved in propaganda campaigns, with Idrobo reportedly featured as a primary speaker in videos aiming to intimidate rivals and recruit new members.
Authorities say the group controls territory that produces around 70% of Colombia’s cocaine and has partnered with international criminal organizations including the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG. From March 2023 to March 2024, Idrobo and Palta allegedly sought to trade cocaine for high-powered weapons such as AK-47 ammunition, rocket-propelled grenades, and machine guns. In one transaction, they exchanged 15.4 pounds of cocaine for over $10,000 worth of Colombian pesos.
In December 2023, a co-conspirator traveled to the Czech Republic to inspect weapons that were going to be exhanged for cocaine. Discussions reportedly included plans to attack Colombia’s presidential palace, military helicopters, the Supreme Court, and police stations to intimidate the Colombian government.
Later that month, the suspects and an associate distributed over 46 pounds of cocaine, packaged with imagery of the Hollywood sign, to a buyer.
Authorities charged four other Colombian nationals in a related indictment. Two of them—Jorge Eliecer Luque Monsalve and Rubén Darío García Londoño—have been arrested. García has been extradited to the United States and pleaded not guilty during a May 5 court appearance in Los Angeles. His trial is scheduled for July 1.
If convicted, the defendants face a minimum of 50 years and up to life in prison. The charges are part of Operation Take Back America, a Justice Department initiative targeting transnational criminal organizations and violent crime.
