Photo: Département d'État des États-Unis · Public domain
Born in Colombia · Nationality Colombian — organised crime / drug trafficking / contract killing / Norte del Valle cartel
Documented profile covering 10 controversies, including “International cocaine trafficking to United States and Europe via Pacific coast” and “January 2008: Varela murdered in Venezuela, reportedly by lieutenants of his own organisation”.
Profile No. 2248 · Updated on 12 October 2026
§ Legal statuses reflect the documented sources as of the date shown; they replace neither court decisions nor the presumption of innocence. Counts are not a rating. Methodology
Case · 2 documented stages
années 1990–2008
US authorities attributed to Varela a major role in exporting multi-tonne cocaine shipments from Colombia's Pacific coast to Mexico, the United States and Europe.
Last verified: 14 September 2026
2004-03
A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia indicted Varela for drug trafficking and racketeering in connection with his leadership role in the Norte del Valle cartel.
Last verified: 14 September 2026
2008-01-30–2008-02
Varela was found shot dead in Venezuela's Mérida state. Investigations and subsequent accounts attributed the plot to Rastrojos lieutenants amid an internal struggle for control of the organisation.
Last verified: 14 September 2026
vers 2002–2007
In the struggle for control of the Norte del Valle cartel, Varela relied on the Rastrojos as an armed wing against Diego León Montoya's Machos. Open warfare between the two factions caused a wave of murders in Valle del Cauca and beyond.
Last verified: 14 September 2026
2007-09–11
After the Machos were weakened, the Rastrojos sought to control coca cultivation and trafficking routes in Chocó. In Istmina, a conflict with groups formed by demobilised fighters left at least 27 dead in two months, according to local authorities and press reports.
Last verified: 14 September 2026
2005-05-30
Seven men were shot dead near Tuluá during the conflict between the Machos and Rastrojos. Colombian authorities investigated the possibility that the killings were ordered as retaliation by Varela's faction.
Last verified: 14 September 2026
2002–2004
The war between Varela's Rastrojos and Montoya's Machos is described as one of the region's bloodiest organised-crime conflicts, with more than a thousand deaths according to several press and crime-analysis estimates.
Last verified: 14 September 2026
2004-03
Colombia's Operation Resplandor resulted in the arrest of seven people linked to Varela's organisation and the seizure of millions of dollars in cash and counterfeit currency, Colombian pesos, weapons, explosives and vehicles.
Last verified: 14 September 2026
2004-05
During Resplandor II, authorities executed search warrants targeting his activities and seized financial documents, a Palm Pilot, a hard drive and cash, among other items.
Last verified: 14 September 2026
années 1990–début 2000
Varela rose to a senior position in the Norte del Valle cartel, reputedly directing trafficking and enforcement operations. US authorities described him as the leader of a hit squad and organiser of funding for targeted assassinations of rivals and suspected informants.
Last verified: 14 September 2026
No documented link with another published profile for now.
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