Colombian Drug Kingpin with Ties to Mexican Cartels Receives 20-Year Prison Sentence in New York

Colombian drug trafficker Tito Aldemar Ruano Yandun, known as "Don T," was sentenced to 20 years in prison by a U.S. federal court in Brooklyn on Thursday for leading an international cocaine distribution conspiracy. The sentencing follows his guilty plea in March and includes the forfeiture of $1.5 million in drug profits.

Ruano Yandun, 49, headed a sophisticated drug trafficking organization operating in southwestern Colombia and Ecuador, regularly exporting tons of cocaine to Central America and Mexico, where he had major connections with the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation Cartels, which worked to distribute cocaine monthly to the United States.

His organization also trafficked cocaine on behalf of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), providing financial support for the group's efforts to overthrow the Colombian government.

His role in drug trafficking was formally recognized in 2017 when the U.S. Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated him and his organization as "specially designated narcotics traffickers" under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act.

Ruano Yandun, also known by aliases such as "Don Ti," "Pedro Linares," and "Viejo," was captured in 2017 near the Colombia-Ecuador border. After years in custody in Colombia, he was extradited to the United States in October 2023 to face prosecution.

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Breon Peace emphasized the impact of Ruano Yandun's actions, stating that his leadership of a prolific drug trafficking network brought immense harm to communities in the U.S. and beyond, as La Opinión reports.

Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA's New York Division, underscored the significance of Yandun's sentencing as a message to international drug lords about the reach of U.S. justice:

"Today's sentence significantly punishes the defendant for leading a prolific drug trafficking organization that exported thousands of kilograms of cocaine destined for our streets. International drug lords must face U.S. justice for the misery they have caused in our district and our country"