Colombian Drug King Convicted : Lehder Smuggled 3 Tons of Cocaine to U.S., Jury Finds

Carlos Lehder, reputedly a leader of a violent Colombian drug cartel responsible for most of the cocaine imported to the United States, was convicted Thursday of smuggling more than three tons of cocaine into the United States.

The verdict capped a seven-month trial on a federal indictment charging him with taking over the island of Norman’s Cay in the Bahamas to smuggle cocaine into Florida and Georgia from 1978 to 1980.

“This is truly a major victory in the war on drugs,” said U.S. Atty. Robert Merkle, the lead prosecutor.

Threatens Cartel

Authorities say Lehder, 38, is a key figure in the Medellin cartel, responsible for up to 80% of U.S. cocaine imports, and Merkle said the case threatens the cartel’s operations.

“I would say they are looking over their shoulders,” Merkle said. “I think their days are numbered.”

But Lehder’s attorney, Edward Shohat, said the conviction, “sadly, means nothing at all.” He accused the government of creating hysteria, even convincing jurors their security was threatened. He promised an appeal.

Law enforcement officials have acknowledged that Lehder’s capture during a shoot-out last year in the Colombian jungle has done little to disrupt the cartel. His role in cartel operations had faded in recent years as he pursued his revolutionary politics and reveled in a flamboyant fugitive life style: He owned 19 cars and a Bavarian-style resort in the Colombian mountains.

Could Face 150-Year Term

Lehder could face up to 150 years in prison and $350,000 in fines for his convictions on all 11 counts, ranging from possession of cocaine to running a continuing criminal enterprise. His co-defendant, Jack Carlton Reed, 57, of San Pedro, Calif., was convicted of one conspiracy count and faces a maximum 15-year sentence.

After the verdicts and before recessing for the day, the jury had to consider government motions seeking the forfeiture of millions of dollars worth of Lehder’s property in the Bahamas, including land, homes, an airstrip and planes.

Jurors will resume deliberations on the forfeiture arguments this morning. U.S. District Judge Howell W. Melton scheduled sentencing for July 20.

Asked if Lehder will spend the rest of his life behind bars, Merkle said: “I certainly hope so. That is going to be my recommendation.”

When the verdicts were read, Lehder looked down briefly, then stared straight ahead. Two female jurors cried, one sobbing into her hands, as their seven days of deliberations ended.

Lehder’s aunt in the audience also cried and slumped down on the bench.

With its diverse cast of 115 witnesses, the Lehder trial offered a richly detailed look into the labyrinthine underworld of international drug trafficking.

A former cellmate, George Jung, testified that Lehder, who moved from Colombia to New York as a teen-ager, plotted his rise in the drug trade 14 years ago while serving two years in federal prison in Danbury, Conn., on marijuana possession charges. Poring over maps in the prison library to identify potential smuggling routes, Lehder wanted to “disrupt the political system” by flooding the United States with cocaine, the cellmate said.

Jung’s testimony indicated that Lehder saw cocaine as a weapon and the ultimate product. He was as consumed by hatred of the United States as he was by the prospect of wealth and power.

Deploys Armed Guards

Lehder moved methodically to implement his vision, according to testimony, taking over Norman’s Cay and turning it into a well-fortified refueling and storage base. Lehder operated the island with military style discipline, deploying radar, German and Colombian armed guards.

Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman Jack Hook called the operation the world’s largest drug trafficking ring.

The verdict was hailed by U.S. Atty. Gen. Edwin Meese III, who called it “an excellent example of international cooperation . . . against a major drug trafficker.”

During the trial, Merkle called Lehder the Henry Ford of drug trafficking, the man who turned cocaine smuggling into a modern, high-tech operation, using airdrops and speed boats.

The Medellin cartel has been blamed for a wave of violence across Colombia, including the assassination of a former justice minister and the slaying of a top U.S. DEA informant, Adler (Barry) Seal in Baton Rouge, La. Up to 10 armed marshals were visible in court during Lehder’s trial.

The son of a German immigrant to Colombia, Lehder was born in the small provincial capital of Armenia. His father, Wilhelm, was an engineer who amassed a fortune through his South American coffee plantations.

Witnesses talked of Lehder’s flamboyant personality, which included admiration for Adolf Hitler and slain former Beatle John Lennon.

Flies Own Shipments

They said Lehder, after initially smuggling the drug himself and paying “mules” to fly between Colombia and the United States, earned a stake that allowed him to fly his own shipments.

He allegedly paid off Bahamian Prime Minister Lynden O. Pindling to look the other way while his smuggling operation took over the small island of Norman’s Cay, a short hop from Florida.

Pindling, reportedly a target of a Florida grand jury investigation based in part on trial testimony, has called the allegations a “fairy tale.”

The principal prosecution witness was Ed Ward, an ex-Marine pilot running his own marijuana smuggling operation from the island. He teamed up with Lehder, but eventually fell out with Reed, Lehder’s co-defendant, he said.

After his arrest in 1981, Ward began cooperating with the DEA.

Ward, who is under federal protection and has been given a new identity, testified about hauling 1,600 kilograms of cocaine from Colombia to Norman’s Cay, and flying tons of cocaine from the Bahamian island to airstrips in Florida and Georgia.

Attack Credibility

Defense attorneys Shohat and Jose Quinon hammered away at the credibility of Ward and other prosecution witnesses. They accused them of making deals to avoid punishment for their own crimes, and said Lehder was a legitimate businessman victimized by drug investigators.

The prosecution testimony was a “litany of lies,” Shohat said.

In a surprise move, they presented no witnesses after the prosecution rested, sending the trial immediately to the jury.

Lehder also is under indictment in Miami for his role in the Medellin cartel. But that indictment was not included in his extradition papers, and under the U.S.-Colombia treaty in effect at the time, he apparently cannot be tried on the charges. Lehder also is reportedly the object of a sealed indictment in Los Angeles.

After the verdicts were returned, the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia, tightened security. An embassy employee said there were no threats but a “red alert” was ordered in case Lehder’s smuggling cohorts planned retaliatory measures.