LOS ANGELES, CA – A 54-year-old Colombian man tied to a U.S.-designated terrorist organization pleaded guilty Monday in federal court in Los Angeles to drug and firearms charges stemming from a scheme to import about 62 pounds of cocaine into the United States and trade cocaine for military-grade weapons, federal officials announced.
Jorge Eliécer Luque Monsalve, also known as “Jorge Col,” of Santander, Colombia, entered the plea Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, to four counts. Federal officials said he is tied to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army, known as the FARC-EP.
Officials said that between March 2023 and March 2024, Luque helped facilitate the distribution of about 61.7 pounds, or 28 kilograms, of cocaine intended for the United States.
U.S. District Judge Mark C. Scarsi set sentencing for Feb. 1, 2027. Luque has been in federal custody since he was extradited from Colombia on Feb. 5, 2026.
Four counts in the plea
Luque pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine for the purpose of unlawful importation. He also pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of cocaine for the purpose of unlawful importation.
The other two counts involve firearms. One is conspiracy to possess firearms, machine guns and destructive devices in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and the other is possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Because he pleaded guilty, the conduct described below is established as admitted facts, according to federal officials.
Cocaine shipment arranged in 2023
Luque admitted taking part in a May 2023 meeting in Colombia with people he believed were buyers. He agreed to provide them about 7 kilograms, or 15.4 pounds, of cocaine, knowing it would be imported into and distributed in the United States.
He also invested his own money in that shipment, expecting a share of the profits, according to federal officials.
Talks to trade cocaine for weapons
In November 2023, Luque and a co-conspirator held a meeting on behalf of a FARC-EP leader and member to discuss trading cocaine for firearms.
The following month, a co-conspirator traveled to the Czech Republic on behalf of co-defendant Iván Jacobo Idrobo Arredondo to inspect weapons for the cocaine trade.
In December 2023, Luque ordered AK-47 rifles and ammunition, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and ammunition, machine guns and additional ammunition from a buyer. In exchange, he agreed to provide 21 kilograms, or 46.3 pounds, of cocaine.
The May 2025 indictment alleged that the cocaine in that December 2023 transaction was packaged with imagery of the Hollywood sign.
FARC-EP designated as terrorist organization
The State Department designated the FARC-EP and a second group, Segunda Marquetalia, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists on Nov. 30, 2021, according to a State Department notice. The same action revoked the older FARC designation.
The indictment alleged that the FARC-EP is a dissident faction that rejected Colombia’s 2016 peace agreement and controls a region that produces about 70 percent of the country’s cocaine. Those statements are allegations from the charging document.
Indictment named four alleged FARC-EP members
The case began with a federal indictment in Los Angeles announced May 19, 2025, in a Drug Enforcement Administration news release. It charged four alleged FARC-EP members: Idrobo Arredondo, Juan Diego Palta Montero, Luque and Rubén Darío García Londoño.
The charges in that indictment included attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, conspiracy to engage in narco-terrorism and conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine for unlawful importation.
García Londoño was extradited and appeared in Los Angeles federal court on May 5, 2025, where he pleaded not guilty. He later pleaded guilty, in November 2025, and is serving a five-year sentence.
Idrobo Arredondo and Palta Montero, described by officials as commanders, continue to face charges. An indictment is an accusation, and the allegations against them have not been proven in court.
Agencies that investigated the case
The DEA Los Angeles Field Division and the agency’s Bogotá Country Office are investigating. They have had substantial assistance from the Colombian National Police.
Two units of the Czech Republic Police also assisted: the National Counterterrorism, Extremism and Cybercrime Agency and the Special Activities Unit.
Penalty Luque faces
Luque faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum of life when he is sentenced. Scarsi will determine the sentence at the hearing.
Sentencing is set for Feb. 1, 2027
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Drug Enforcement Administration Los Angeles Field Division.
Luque remains in federal custody until sentencing, which is scheduled for Feb. 1, 2027. The investigation remains active, and the charges against Idrobo Arredondo and Palta Montero remain pending.
