A former Colombian paramilitary leader convicted of federal cocaine trafficking charges will serve nearly seven more years in an American prison before he is sent back to his country.
Salvatore Mancuso was sentenced Tuesday to nearly 16 years in prison for his role in guiding more than 150 tons of cocaine to U.S. soil.
But U.S. District Judge Ellen Huvelle gave him credit for nine years served in the United States and Colombia.
Mancuso was extradited to the United States in 2008 along with a dozen other men who headed Colombia's powerful right-wing militias.
He once led the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, a paramilitary group formed to protect wealthy ranchers and drug traffickers from leftist rebels. Colombian authorities blame the group for killing more than 10,000 people.