MIAMI – A U.S. federal judge on Tuesday sentenced Eugenio Montoya, a member of Colombia’s Norte del Valle drug cartel, to 30 years in prison for conspiring to traffic drugs and obstruction of justice.

Montoya had pled guilty to both charges in January after reaching an agreement with federal prosecutors.

The confessed drug trafficker heard the sentence in a Miami courtroom with shackles on his legs and wearing a beige prison uniform.

Ruben Oliva, his lawyer, said after the sentencing, that it would be adjusted as per the agreement with federal prosecutors. “We’re hoping for a reduction in the sentence because of cooperation” shown by Montoya, he said.

Montoya apologized for his actions to U.S. District Judge Cecilia Altonaga.

“Unfortunately, being an adolescent and working legally on a farm, with my mother, we were displaced by the guerrillas and crime. If that hadn’t happened, we would have lived a calm and peaceful life,” the Colombian said.

Montoya also asked the forgiveness of relatives of a federal witness in his case, Jhon Jairo Garcia Giraldo, who was tortured and murdered in Colombia.

Altonaga a hearing for July 10 at which the size of an indemnity to be paid to Garcia Giraldo’s relatives will be determined.

Eugenio’s brother Diego Montoya, alias “Don Diego,” the reputed leader of the Norte del Valle cartel, is awaiting trial before the same federal court in Miami.

Eugenio Montoya administered and was in charge of the money the cartel obtained through drug trafficking and supervised the sites used to hide those funds.

The United States says that the North del Valle mob is responsable for about 70 percnet of the cocaine trafficked to the United States and Europe.

In 2005, another brother of Eugenio and Diego, Juan Carlos, and their cousin Carlos Felipe Toro Sanchez were extradited to the United States to face drug trafficking and money laundering charges.

Both pled guilty. Juan Carlos Montoya was sentenced to 21 years in prison and Toro to 19 years. EFE