NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Yunier Renteria-Renteria, a 28-year-old Colombian national, was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison today for his role in a cocaine trafficking operation that aimed to smuggle more than two tons of cocaine into the United States.
Court records reveal that Renteria-Renteria admitted to possessing with intent to distribute cocaine on a vessel, a charge to which he pled guilty on January 3. The sentencing today marks the conclusion of legal proceedings against all defendants involved in this case.
The operation was uncovered on March 17, 2023, when a maritime patrol aircraft detected a “go-fast” boat commonly used for transporting large quantities of cocaine from Colombia to other transfer vessels bound for the U.S. Upon realizing they were under surveillance, the crew attempted to dispose of their illicit cargo, leading to the recovery of 1,504 kilograms of cocaine by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Alongside Renteria-Renteria on the boat were Luis Valencia-Renteria, 27, also from Colombia, and Cesar Rodriguez, 30, from Ecuador. Both co-defendants previously entered guilty pleas, with Valencia pleading on August 3, 2023, and Rodriguez on August 14, 2023. They received identical sentences of two years and six months on January 9.