Colombian Kingpin Úsuga Faces 45-Year Term for Reign of Terror
Colombian kingpin Dairo Antonio Úsuga, also known as Otoniel, is facing a 45-year prison sentence for his reign of terror as the leader of Colombia’s notorious Gulf Clan group. The United States agreed to forgo seeking a life sentence in order to extradite him from Colombia. Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn are now seeking a lengthy term for Úsuga, who is 51 years old and grappling with several medical issues.
Prosecutors have emphasized that Úsuga’s desire for control and revenge was insatiable, and the level of harm he inflicted cannot be overstated. They described his leadership of the Gulf Clan over the course of a decade as a true reign of terror. His crimes include ordering killings, torturing victims, and terrorizing the general public. One particularly gruesome act included the torture, burial alive, and beheading of a perceived enemy.
Úsuga’s defense team has sought to depict him as a product of Colombia’s difficult circumstances—a man born into poverty in remote rural areas, surrounded by guerrilla warfare, and recruited into a life of violence at a young age. As the country experienced a long-running internal conflict, Úsuga allied himself with both left- and right-wing combatants. His lawyers argue that understanding his crimes requires an examination of Colombia’s history of violence and trauma.
The Gulf Clan, also known as the Gaitanist Self Defense Forces of Colombia, exercised control over a region abundant with smuggling routes for drugs, weapons, and migrants. With thousands of members and military-grade weapons, the group engaged in conflicts with rival gangs, paramilitary groups, and Colombian authorities. Their rule was financed through imposing taxes on cocaine that was produced, stored, or transported through their territory. As part of his plea deal, Úsuga has agreed to forfeit a staggering $216 million.
Despite extensive manhunts and reward offers, Úsuga managed to evade capture for years, in part by utilizing a network of rural safe houses. However, his arrest in 2021 put an end to his status as Colombia’s most-wanted kingpin. He had been under indictment in the United States since 2009.
Relatives of Úsuga’s victims have expressed the immeasurable damage he has caused. One family member wrote to the court, The damage that this man named Otoniel has caused to our family is unfathomable. The widow of a slain police officer added, All I am asking for is justice for my daughter, for myself, for John’s family, for his friends, and in honor of my husband, that his death not go unpunished.
As this high-profile case continues, the court will consider the full extent of Úsuga’s crimes and the circumstances that shaped him. Ultimately, the goal is to bring justice to the victims and send a message that such reigns of terror will not go unpunished.
