Biography
Jorge Enrique Rodríguez Mendieta, also known as Iván Vargas, commanded the 24th Front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and belonged to its Central General Staff. His organizational role is documented in the U.S. prosecution record.
Colombian authorities arrested him in late 2004. He was extradited to the United States on November 1, 2007, and pleaded guilty on December 16, 2009, to conspiring to import cocaine into the United States. On March 19, 2010, U.S. District Judge Thomas F. Hogan sentenced him in Washington, D.C., to 244 months in prison. His plea acknowledged directing cocaine manufacture and distribution with knowledge that some would enter the United States. The conviction concerned that conduct, not simply membership in FARC.
Previous biography:
Note to editors: From what I could find, this doesn't seem to be political. I'm not sure if my Ivan Vargas (his other name) is the same as yours, but I'm pretty sure this guy had no political affiliations and was sentenced for conspiracy to smuggle cocaine into the US Jorge Enrique Rodriguez Mendieta (Ivan Vargas) was extradited from Colombia and pleaded guilty to FARC narcotics conspiracy. Sentenced to 244 months federal prison plus 60 months supervised release.
Research sources
Bureau of Prisons inmate locator, checked September 23, 2026: JORGE ENRIQUE RODRIGUEZ MENDIETA, register number 29156-016, "Not in BOP Custody as of: 09/11/2023." This establishes the end of BOP custody, not necessarily freedom from all detention or supervision. BOP inmate locator.
