Angie Sanclemente Valencia

Angie Sanselmente Valencia also known as Angie Sanclemente Valencia (born 25 May 1979)[1] is a former Colombian beauty queen and lingerie model believed to be the ringleader of one of the world's largest drug syndicates.

Angie Sanclemente Valencia
Born (1979-05-25) May 25, 1979
Barranquilla, Colombia
NationalityColombian
Other names"Narco Queen"
"Queen of Cocaine"
OccupationModel, beauty queen
Criminal statusReleased on 27 September 2013
Criminal chargeDrug trafficking and racketeering
Penalty6 years imprisonment

Background

Valencia is originally from Colombia. where she won the Reinado Nacional del Café, a national qualifying competition for the Reinado Internacional del Café (International Queen of Coffee) beauty pageant, in 2000 but was dethroned two days later when it was found she was married. The title was awarded to Ximena Andrea García Buitrago.[2][3]

Syndicate

Valencia's operation is believed to be a "rival empire" to that of her former boyfriend, a Mexican drug baron known as "The Monster".[4] She formed her own cartel after splitting with him.[5] She is alleged to have recruited other models, whom she is quoted referring to as her "unsuspicious, beautiful angels" as drug traffickers, paying them up to around $5,000 (£3,200) per trip to transport cocaine from Argentina to England by way of Cancún.[6]

Investigation

Valencia's alleged syndicate was believed to have been exposed on 13 December 2009, when a 21-year-old woman, "Ariel L", was arrested with a suitcase containing 55 kg (121 pounds) of cocaine at Ezeiza International Airport, Buenos Aires, Argentina. "L" made no attempt to hide the drugs inside her bags, leading authorities to suspect the ring had help from employees.[7] She is reported to have been told that no one at the airport would try to stop her, and an investigation was launched to find employees of the airport with possible links to the syndicate. After questioning "L", three additional arrests were made and a warrant was issued for Valencia's arrest. Authorities believed she was still in Argentina after she fled a hotel where she had been staying with her pomeranian. In March 2010 Interpol issued an international warrant for her arrest.[2]

Valencia was finally arrested in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on May 26, 2010, while staying in a local hostel. Police reported that she had registered under a false name and had tried to alter her appearance by dyeing her hair blonde.[8]

She was initially jailed on 27 May 2010 in the "Centro Federal de Detención de Mujeres Unidad número 31" in the city of Ezeiza, Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. In October of the same year she was moved to the "Instituto Correccional de Mujeres Unidad número 3" also in Ezeiza after she suffered some violent attacks.[9][10]

She was released from prison and deported back to Colombia on 27 September 2013[11] after serving only half of her original 6 year and 8-month prison sentence.[12] She is banned from returning to Argentina.

References
  1. Interpol Wanted Notice for Angie Sanclemente Valencia
  2. Karl Penhaul (2010-03-26). "Model, allegedly drug queen, on the lam". CNN.
  3. Zamora, Héctor Fabio (2000-07-06). "Destronada la Reina Nacional del Café". Archives. El Tiempo. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
  4. Telegraph.co.uk: Lingerie model runs one of world's largest drug gangs, according to police
  5. NineMSN: Police hunt ex-model turned 'cocaine kingpin' Archived February 27, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  6. USAToday: Lingerie model allegedly hired beautiful models to smuggle cocaine
  7. NY Daily News: Lingerie model Angie Valencia running global cocaine ring -- using fellow catwalkers as mules: cops
  8. CNN: Former model arrested in Argentina on drug charges
  9. http://www.ambito.com/noticia.asp?id=543682
  10. Hurley, Bevan (1 May 2011). "'Cocaine queen' moved after assaults in prison". New Zealand Herald. APN Holdings NZ. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  11. InsightCrime.org: Argentina Frees, Deports Colombia 'Narco Model'
  12. Clarin.com: Confirman la pena de casi 7 años de prisión para Angie Sanclemente
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