Colombian Jailed for Scheme to Arm Terrorists
Jim Kouri, CPP
September 06, 2005
A Colombian man, living in Tampa, FL, is on his way to serving 25 years in prison for attempting to illegally export arms to a Colombian terrorist organization.
Carlos Enrique Gamarra-Murillo, 54, pleaded guilty earlier this year to the charges. He was arrested by ICE agents following an undercover investigation into Gamarra-Murillo’s attempt to acquire arms for Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), a US-designated foreign terrorist organization in Colombia.
The case began in March 2003, when Gamarra-Murillo met with an ICE confidential informant in Colombia and said that he was interested in purchasing numerous firearms and other weapons and bringing them into Colombia for a client. Over the next year, the CI and ICE undercover agents met with Gamarra-Murillo to arrange the deal.
On April 1, 2004, Gamarra-Murillo met in Tampa with the CI and ICE undercover agents to finalize the $4 million deal for machine guns, grenade launchers and grenades, assault rifles, handguns and ammunition. Gamarra-Murillo told the ICE agents to deliver the munitions to an airstrip in Venezuela where members of FARC would receive the goods. He told the ICE agents that payment would be made at the airstrip, 40 percent in U.S. currency and 60 percent in cocaine.
During the negotiations, Gamarra-Murillo also told the ICE agents that he was interested in negotiating for Stinger missiles and Russian-made surface-to-air missiles in a future transaction. He was then arrested by ICE agents and taken into custody.
In an unrelated case, a California aircraft parts supplier pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in the District to illegally exporting $40,000 in military aircraft parts to China, including parts for F-4 Phantom fighters, F-5 Tiger fighters and Hawk missiles.
US Attorney Kenneth L. Wainstein said the company, Interaero Inc., knew it was dealing with a buyer from China and was aware that the buyer intended to sell the parts to Iran. Nevertheless, he said, Interaero shipped the parts without making any effort to obtain an export license.
Sources: Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Tampa, Florida Police Department, American Federation of Police, AmeriCop USA, Washington Times
Carlos Enrique Gamarra-Murillo, 54, pleaded guilty earlier this year to the charges. He was arrested by ICE agents following an undercover investigation into Gamarra-Murillo’s attempt to acquire arms for Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), a US-designated foreign terrorist organization in Colombia.
The case began in March 2003, when Gamarra-Murillo met with an ICE confidential informant in Colombia and said that he was interested in purchasing numerous firearms and other weapons and bringing them into Colombia for a client. Over the next year, the CI and ICE undercover agents met with Gamarra-Murillo to arrange the deal.
On April 1, 2004, Gamarra-Murillo met in Tampa with the CI and ICE undercover agents to finalize the $4 million deal for machine guns, grenade launchers and grenades, assault rifles, handguns and ammunition. Gamarra-Murillo told the ICE agents to deliver the munitions to an airstrip in Venezuela where members of FARC would receive the goods. He told the ICE agents that payment would be made at the airstrip, 40 percent in U.S. currency and 60 percent in cocaine.
During the negotiations, Gamarra-Murillo also told the ICE agents that he was interested in negotiating for Stinger missiles and Russian-made surface-to-air missiles in a future transaction. He was then arrested by ICE agents and taken into custody.
In an unrelated case, a California aircraft parts supplier pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in the District to illegally exporting $40,000 in military aircraft parts to China, including parts for F-4 Phantom fighters, F-5 Tiger fighters and Hawk missiles.
US Attorney Kenneth L. Wainstein said the company, Interaero Inc., knew it was dealing with a buyer from China and was aware that the buyer intended to sell the parts to Iran. Nevertheless, he said, Interaero shipped the parts without making any effort to obtain an export license.
Sources: Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Tampa, Florida Police Department, American Federation of Police, AmeriCop USA, Washington Times
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