A Colombian customs worker entered a surprise guilty plea this week, admitting he took bribes and funneled more than $1 million in drug money. The plea came on the second day of the trial before anticipated information about corrupt activities between U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents and their informants could be uncovered.
Authorities received information about the defendant, Omar Ambuila, after his daughter flaunted luxury items on her social media pages.
What did the defendant’s daughter post?
Jenny Ambuila posted photos of herself carrying designer handbags, taking luxury vacations and driving a $330,000 Lamborghini.
Point phone camera here
She wrote in a 2017 Facebook post, “People assume that because they can’t make it you can’t make it either. Prove them wrong,” along with a photo of the Lamborghini.
But that lifestyle didn’t match the University of Miami graduate’s actual financial situation or her father’s. Omar Abuila earned about $2,000 monthly as a mid-level customs supervisor in Colombia.
Prosecutors said a large amount of the funds used to buy the Lamborghini came from the Florida-based nephew of a “known contraband smuggler in Colombia.”
What is the case’s connection to DEA misconduct?
The court proceedings were supposed to shed light on a scandal that resulted in more than a dozen federal agents being disciplined or ousted from their jobs for a range of infractions tied to global DEA money laundering investigations.
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In a Tampa federal court Tuesday, Jan. 28, Omar Ambuila reportedly showed no emotion as the U.S. district court judge mentioned how much money the Justice Department spent preparing for a trial that ended after just two days.
Ambuila was extradited to the U.S. from Colombia in 2023.
He faces up to 20 years in prison at an April sentencing.
[Lauren]
A COLOMBIAN CUSTOMS WORKER ENTERED A SURPRISE GUILTY PLEA THIS WEEK … ADMITTING HE TOOK BRIBES AND FUNNELED MORE THAN 1 MILLION DOLLARS IN DRUG MONEY.
THE PLEA CAME ON DAY TWO OF THE TRIAL … BEFORE ANTICIPATED INFORMATION ON CORRUPT ACTIVITY BETWEEN U-S DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION AGENTS AND THEIR INFORMANTS COULD BE UNCOVERED.
AUTHORITIES WERE TIPPED OFF TO THE DEFENDANT, OMAR AMBUILA AFTER HIS DAUGHTER FLAUNTED LUXURY ITEMS ON HER SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES.
JENNY AMBUILA POSTED PHOTOS OF HERSELF CARRYING DESIGNER HANDBAGS, TAKING LUXURY VACATIONS AND DRIVING A 330-THOUSAND DOLLAR LAMBORGHINI.
SHE WROTE IN A 20-17 FACEBOOK POST “PEOPLE ASSUME THAT BECAUSE THEY CAN’T MAKE IT YOU CAN MAKE IT EITHER. PROVE THEM WRONG” … ALONG WITH A PHOTO OF THE LAMBORGHINI.
BUT THAT LIFESTYLE DIDN’T MATCH THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI’S GRADUATE’S ACTUAL FINANCIAL SITUATION OR HER FATHER’S … WHO WAS EARNING ABOUT 2-THOUSAND DOLLARS A MONTH AS MID-LEVEL CUSTOMS SUPERVISOR IN COLOMBIA.
PROSECUTORS SAY A LARGE AMOUNT OF THE FUNDS USED TO BUY THE LAMBORGHINI CAME FROM THE FLORIDA-BASED NEPHEW OF A “KNOWN CONTRABAND SMUGGLER IN COLOMBIA.”
THE COURT PROCEEDINGS WERE SUPPOSED TO SHED LIGHT ON A SCANDAL THAT RESULTED IN MORE THAN A DOZEN FEDERAL AGENTS BEING DISCIPLINED OR OUSTED FROM THEIR JOBS FOR A RANGE OF MISCONDUCT DURING D-E-A MONEY LAUNDERING INVESTIGATIONS AROUND THE WORLD.
IN TAMPA FEDERAL COURT TUESDAY, AMBUILA REPORTEDLY SHOWED NO EMOTION AS THE U-S DISTRICT COURT JUDGE MENTIONED THE LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SPENT PREPARING FOR A TRIAL TO END AFTER ONLY TWO DAYS.
AMBUILA WAS EXTRADITED TO THE U-S FROM COLOMBIA IN 2023.
HE FACES UP TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON AT AN APRIL SENTENCING.
FOR SAN I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.
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