Luis Hernando Gomez-Bustamante

Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
Narcotics Rewards Program

CAPTURED

Aliases: Rasguño
DOB: March 14, 1958
Alt. DOBs: March 13, 1958
March 14, 1959
POB: Colombia
Nationality: Colombian
Citizenship: Colombia
Height: 5 feet 8 inches
Weight: 185 pounds
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown

Luis Hernando Gomez-Bustamante is a Colombian National who was one of the leaders of the North Valle Cartel, an organization involved in processing and smuggling approximately 500 metric tons of cocaine worth in excess of $10 billion between 1990 and 2004 to the United States, primarily via Mexico, and to Europe. The Gomez-Bustamante organization moved cocaine via aircraft, go-fasts, and maritime cargo vessels, owns cocaine HCl conversion laboratories in the Valle del Cauca region of Colombia, and also has cocaine distribution cells in the U.S. including in the New York/New Jersey area.

In March 2004, Government of Colombia seized properties belonging to Gomez-Bustamante valued at approximately $111 million under Operation Resplandor, an interdiction and surge operation initiated to maintain continued pressure on the North Valle Cartel. On July 2, 2004, Gomez-Bustamante was arrested while trying to enter Cuba on a false passport.

Judicial Status: Gomez-Bustamante was indicted in the Southern District of Virginia, in January 1997, for Continuing Criminal Enterprise, conspiracy, firearms, and money laundering. On October 10, 2002, an indictment was issued in Eastern District of New York on Gomez-Bustamante on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering. In July 2004, the Colombian Government brought new charges against Gomez-Bustamante for illicit enrichment and drug violations. In March, 2004 a federal grand jury in Washington D.C. indicted Gomez-Bustamante on drug trafficking and RICO charges stemming from his leadership of the North Valle Cartel.