ctor ▁of ▁c oca ine ▁tra ff ick ers . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁ind icted ▁by ▁a ▁United ▁States ▁federal ▁grand ▁j ury ▁in ▁Tul sa , ▁Oklahoma , ▁during ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁on ▁charges ▁of ▁consp iring ▁to ▁import ▁and ▁dist ribute ▁c oca ine ▁into ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁The ▁D rug ▁En for cement ▁Administration ▁said ▁that ▁Ab ello ▁" was ▁considered ▁a ▁major ▁trans porter ▁for ▁the ▁Med ell ín ▁cart el ," ▁responsible ▁for ▁" major ▁ship ments ▁of ▁c oca ine ▁and ▁mar iju ana ▁into ▁the ▁states ." ▁Ab ello ▁was ▁the ▁cart el ' s ▁chief ▁of ▁operations ▁for ▁Colombia ' s ▁northern ▁coast . ▁ ▁Specifically , ▁the ▁DE A ▁estimated ▁that ▁Ab ello ' s ▁tra ff ick ing ▁ring ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁import ation ▁of ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 , 7 0 0 ▁pounds ▁of ▁c oca ine ▁into ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁Ar rest , ▁extr ad ition ▁and ▁sent encing ▁Ab ello ▁was ▁arrested ▁T ues day , ▁October ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁while ▁d ining ▁at ▁a ▁restaurant ▁in ▁Bog ot á . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Colomb ian ▁Administr ative ▁Security ▁Department , ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁his ▁arrest ▁Ab ello ▁was ▁the ▁sevent h - ran king ▁man ▁in ▁the ▁Med ell ín ▁cart el ▁hierarchy . ▁ ▁On ▁October ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁he ▁was ▁transferred ▁into ▁the ▁cust ody ▁of