SAO PAULO , Brazil ( Reuters ) -- A Colombian man who authorities say is one of Latin America 's biggest drug traffickers wants to be extradited to the United States from a Brazilian jail and is willing to cooperate with U.S. anti-drug agents , his attorney says . Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia appears in an undated photo released by the U.S. State Department . Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia was grabbed in a dawn police raid Tuesday and is being held in custody in Sao Paulo pending the processing of an extradition request . Brazilian and U.S. authorities say he is responsible for shipping thousands of tons of cocaine to the United States and Europe . He also allegedly oversaw a business empire that laundered the profits in Brazil , long a favorite hiding spot for fugitives . His attorney , Sergio Alambert , was quoted Thursday as saying Ramirez Abadia wanted to cooperate with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration . `` My client asked that I contact the DEA and show his willingness to collaborate . Two DEA agents are questioning him in the jail , '' Alambert told O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper . Ramirez Abadia wanted to be extradited to the United States , but he hoped to cut a deal for a maximum 30-year sentence to avoid the death penalty , he said . In a 2004 indictment issued by a grand jury in Washington , Ramirez Abadia was accused of shipping about 500 tons of cocaine worth more than $ 10 billion from Colombia to the United States between 1990 and 2004 . U.S. Embassy spokesman Richard Mei said the extradition request was working its way through the formal process . Brazil might want to put Ramirez Abadia -- who is nicknamed Chupeta , or Lollipop -- on trial for money-laundering , and Colombia could try to bring him back to face justice there . Mei could not confirm that the DEA already was questioning the suspect or that U.S. agents took part in Tuesday 's operation . `` The operation is an example of the way the DEA and Brazilian authorities work together all the time . This one paid off big time , '' he said . Police and media reports detailed a business empire run by Ramirez Abadia that included property , car dealerships , import and export companies , even a jet-ski store on a busy Sao Paulo avenue . He was trying to set up an air taxi company to help facilitate his business operations , they said . Ramirez Abadia , 44 , and his wife lived in luxury in a million-dollar mansion in a Sao Paulo suburb , but they kept a low profile . The house had 10 televisions , a gym and swimming pool , and six cars , Folha de S.Paulo newspaper said . Neighbors said he was a man of few words and always wore sunglasses and a cap when he went out cycling with his wife . Staff at a plastic surgery office in a posh neighborhood where he had operations to change his appearance told Estado they had no idea about his background and that he was always kind and polite . U.S. authorities have described him as extremely violent , and Brazilian police said he was behind at least 15 killings in the United States and more than 300 in Colombia . E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 Reuters . All rights reserved.This material may not be published , broadcast , rewritten , or redistributed .
Lawyer tells newspaper alleged drug kingpin is willing to be extradited to U.S. Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia -- nicknamed Lollipop -- arrested this week in Brazil . The lawyer says the suspect has been offered a plea deal that would allow him to plead guilty and serve no more than six months behind bars if he agrees to return to his home country of Mexico. Brazil police allege suspect may be behind hundreds of killings .