Drug kingpin jailed after10-year wait

TEN YEARS  after he was arrested in Brazil,  a Panama court has sentenced   Pablo Rayo Montano to nine years in prison for money laundering related to drug trafficking.

According to prosecutors, the defendant was part of a criminal groups that trafficked drugs, weapons and laundered money in Panama, Colombia, the United States and Guatemala.

Among his criminal activities was arms trafficking for Colombian guerrillas, a networked that was dismantled in 2002. He was also accused of smuggling millions of dollars from Colombia into Panama.

The prosecution said the group led by Rayo Montaño arrived in Panama in 1996, and  fell after five of his brothers were arrested in Colombia.

For his operations he  required front companies  without his name appearing.

This created five cells. The first was dealing drugs and weapons to Colombian guerrillas and was dismantled in 2002 in an  operation called Estero. The second brought to Panama from Colombia millions in cash inside aircraft.

The third cell trafficked drugs from Colombia in speedboats. The fourth sent money from Panama to Guatemala, and the fifth facade created companies in Panama to launder money. For this he had the cooperation of Panamanians and Colombians.

It is estimated that his network also smuggled some 52 tons of drugs, namely cocaine and heroin, into the United States

Rayo Montano was arrested in Brazil in 2006. He was originally held in the El Renacer prison, but transferred to La Joyita in 2010.