Alias 'Topo' pleads not guilty in New York court, gets court-appointed lawyer

Darío Javier Peñafiel Nieto, linked to Los Choneros gang, denied seven federal charges in U.S. court related to international cocaine trafficking and arms smuggling.

Alias 'Topo' pleads not guilty in New York court, gets court-appointed lawyer

Darío Javier Peñafiel Nieto, known as alias "Topo," appeared before a U.S. federal court on June 22 to face a seven-count indictment. The defendant, extradited from Ecuador weeks earlier, pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The accusations he faces mirror those filed against José Adolfo Macías Villamar, alias "Fito," leader of the criminal group Los Choneros. The counts include conspiracy to distribute cocaine internationally, international distribution of the drug, use of firearms to further drug trafficking, arms smuggling from the United States, and conspiracy to illegally purchase weapons through straw buyers.

During the arraignment hearing, his defense noted that the accused did not file any request for bail. The judge ordered his detention but allowed his attorneys to seek bail before another judge later on.

Because Peñafiel Nieto lacked private counsel, Magistrate Judge Clay H. Kaminsky appointed Arthur Kenneth Womble Jr. as his public defender. The court also granted an exclusion of time under the Speedy Trial Act, running from June 22, 2026, through September 17, 2026.

A follow-up hearing was scheduled for September 17, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. in Courtroom 10C South, before Judge Frederic Block.

Source: El Universo

Source: Google News EC — Crime