Several Colombian nationals who own marijuana dispensaries in the US state of Colorado are under investigation into whether their marijuana buisness’ are being illegally funded by Colombian drug trafficking organizations.
Gerado Uribe and several members of his family are among a dozen people currently under investigation for illegal production and distribution of marijuana and laundering money to fund five marijuana dispensaries and six grow houses run by the family and its associates. On November 21 last year, a total of 14 businesses and two homes were raided by Federal agents in the Denver metropolitan area, says the Denver Post.
One of these houses was owned by an associate, Hector Diaz, who reportedly wired over $400,000 from a bank in Colombia to the United States.
According to the Denver Post, he told authorities he intended to use the money to buy a warehouse where he would start a business making coiled barbed wire. The newspaper says that that federal agents have not found any proof to back up these claims, and there is suspicion that these funds may be connected to a “shadow investor” in Colombia.
When authorities raided Diaz’s $1.3 million home on November 21 last year 11 firearms were found with thousands of rounds of ammunition. Lawyers for the men reportedly claim all the firearms were obtained legally.
Uribe and his family have reportedly pleaded their innocence on all accounts and as of yet have not been formerly charged with any crime.
Sources
- New details emerge on Colorado marijuana operators raided by feds (Denver Post)
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Temen relación de carteles colombianos y expendios de marihuana en Colorado (Caracol Radio)
