Rosbin Leonardo Duarte-Elvir, a 43-year-old Honduran national, has been sentenced to 17 years and six months in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States. U.S. District Judge William F. Jung also ordered Duarte-Elvir to forfeit $5 million. The sentencing follows Duarte-Elvir’s guilty plea on December 11, 2025.
According to court documents, Duarte-Elvir was involved in trafficking cocaine from Colombia to the United States over several years. He and his associates owned and invested in cocaine shipments that were transported using commercial aircraft loaded with drugs disguised as fruit boxes at Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport in Cali, Colombia. The operation relied on corrupt airport employees and more than 20 Colombian police officers who helped move the cocaine through Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport on San Andrés Island. From there, the drugs were smuggled by boat to Nicaragua or Honduras before continuing by land through Mexico and into the United States.
The organization trafficked thousands of kilograms of cocaine over time, with their last attempt occurring in May 2024. After a seizure at San Andrés Island airport disrupted their operations in 2023, leaders decided to resume their air route. On May 7, 2024, couriers attempted to import 540 kilograms of cocaine into Cali airport; however, Colombian law enforcement seized the shipment before it could reach its intended destination.
Duarte-Elvir reportedly used proceeds from drug trafficking to support an extravagant lifestyle, including purchasing a large estate near Cali.
The investigation was conducted by several agencies: the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service. Colombian authorities also provided significant assistance during the case. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs coordinated with Colombian officials for Duarte-Elvir’s arrest and extradition in March 2025.
U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe stated: “This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion.” He continued: “The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad.” Kehoe added: “Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders.”
The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorney David J. Pardo with forfeiture handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne C. Nebesky.
This case is also part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide effort aimed at eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations while addressing violent crime within communities.
