Former Southampton and Portsmouth midfielder Jhon Viafara has been sentenced to 11 years in prison after being found guilty of trafficking cocaine into the United States.
Jhon Viafara, 42, pleaded guilty on Nov. 23, 2020, to conspiracy to import five kilograms or more of cocaine into the United States and was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant.
He was accused of being the main man behind the operation, which used speed boats and small planes to transport the drugs into America from Colombia via Mexico.
Viafara had been under investigation by the authorities for three years and goes by the alias ‘El Futbolista’.
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“The defendant in this case had it all, worldwide fame, wealth, and stature—despite all of this, he chose to use his talents to advance the evil of the drug trade,
“The Eastern District of Texas will identify drug trafficking operations and dismantle them at their source, stopping deadly drugs before they reach our shores.
“Traffickers should take note, no matter who you are; no matter where in the world you live; the United States will prosecute you if you join in a conspiracy to send drugs to our country.” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei.