Colombian man sentenced in NN for role in cocaine trafficking

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — A Colombian man was sentenced Wednesday to two years and six months in prison for cocaine trafficking, a release states.

According to court documents, 28-year-old Yunier Renteria was part of a group attempting to move more than two tons of cocaine into the U.S. On Jan. 3, Renteria pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine on board a vessel.

On March 17, 2023, a maritime patrol aircraft spotted a go-fast boat, which are frequently used to transport large quantities of cocaine from the Colombian coast to larger boats traveling to the U.S. When the crew became aware of the presence of law enforcement, they began to discard their cargo, which the U.S. Coast Guard recovered. The cargo included 1,504 kilograms of cocaine.

The crew of the go-fast boat transporting the cocaine included Renteria, Luis Valencia-Renteria, 27, of Colombia, and Cesar Rodriguez, 30, of Ecuador. Valencia pled guilty on Aug. 3, 2023, and Rodriguez pled guilty on Aug. 14, 2023. On Jan. 9, Valencia and Rodriguez were sentenced to two years and six months in prison.

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