A notorious Colombian drug lord pleaded guilty in a New York court on Tuesday to running a criminal enterprise and conspiring to support a designated terrorist group, US justice officials said.
Daniel Rendon Herrera, also known as Don Mario and once considered the most feared narco-terrorist in Colombia, was extradited to the US in 2018 after his arrest in the Colombian jungle in 2009.
Rendon Herrera was a leader of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, known as AUC, which the US government designated in 2001 as a global terrorism organization.
He admitted in court "to providing material support to a designated terrorist organization that brutally killed, kidnapped, and tortured rival drug traffickers and civilians," the US Justice Department said in a statement.
Rendon Herrera also admitted to having trafficked more than 80 tons of cocaine as part of his billion-dollar cocaine empire.
"Rendon Herrera oversaw operations of a paramilitary cartel that carried out kidnappings, torture, and murders," the statement said.
When sentenced, Rendon Herrera faces from 20 years to life in prison and over $47 million in forfeiture and fines.