Date: 04-11-2025

Case Style:

United States of America v. Raul Orlando Torres Cubides, aka “Jose Jota”

Case Number:

Judge: Esther Salas

Court: The United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (Essex County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: The United States Attorney’s Office Newark

Defendant's Attorney:

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Defense counsel: James Plaisted, Esq., Hackensack, New Jersey

Description:

Newark, New Jersey criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with Conspiring To Transport Hundreds Of Kilograms Of Cocaine Into The United States
Colombian National Sentenced To 178 Months In Prison For Conspiring To Transport Hundreds Of Kilograms Of Cocaine Into The United States

A Colombian citizen was indicted for conspiring to import hundreds of kilograms of cocaine into the United States from other countries including Colombia, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic.

Raul Orlando Torres Cubides, aka “Jose Jota,” 57, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas to Count One of an Indictment charging him with conspiracy to import five kilograms or more of cocaine.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From 2016 through January 2020, Cubides and others conspired to import hundreds of kilograms of cocaine. Cubides admitted playing a managerial role in this conspiracy, which involved more than five individuals.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Salas sentenced Cubides to five years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents and task force officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz in Newark, New Jersey, as well as special agents and task force officers with the DEA operating in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. She also thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs; the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section Judicial Attachés in Bogotá, Colombia; Colombian law enforcement authorities; and the U.S. Marshals Service for their assistance.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

This case is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Farhana C. Melo of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.

Outcome: center>

Defendant was found guilty and sentenced to 178 Months In Prison

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

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