Carlos Lehder Rivas’ first shipments of cocaine to the United States were smuggled in suitcases using an associate he had met in federal prison at Danbury, Connecticut, while serving a sentence for marijuana smuggling. From humble beginnings as a small-time marijuana dealer in Miami in the early 1970s, Lehder rose to become a pivotal figure in the international drug trade, controlling a squadron of airplanes that brought thousands of kilograms of cocaine into the United Statese every month. As one of the principals in the notorious Medellin Cartel, Lehder and his partners dominated the United States cocaine trade.
George Whitehurst United States Courthouse built in 1932 (left) and the United States Courthouse and Federal Building opened in 1998 (right)
Lehder was indicted for shipping 3.3 tons of cocaine into the United States and was extradited from Colombia to Jacksonville, Florida. Lehder threatened to kill one federal judge every week until he was released. The United States Marshals provided extra security for the judges, jury, and prosecutors because of Lehder’s threats. Lehder was held in a special cell inside the courthouse when his trial was not in session. Guards patrolled each courthouse floor armed with rapid-fire guns.
The Jacksonville Division of the Middle District of Florida has decided a diverse range of cases, including patent infringement, voting rights, contract disputes, suits against the government, foreclosure, libel, environmental matters, medical malpractice, employment disputes, bankruptcy cases, and many others.
Decisions made here continue to impact our lives.
Life Plus 135 Crowds gathered before dawn across from the Jacksonville Federal Courthouse. United States Marshals, armed with submachine guns and scope-equipped rifles, were visible on the rooftops. For seven and a half months in 1987 and 1988, Judge Howell W. Melton, Sr. presided over Lehder’s trial. Former United States Attorney Robert Merkle led the prosecution of Lehder for cocaine trafficking crimes occurring from 1976 through 1980. Lehder was convicted and sentenced to life plus 135 years in prison. He later testified in the drug trafficking trial of former Panamanian dictator, Manuel Noriega. Based on his cooperation, his sentence was reduced to 55 years, which he currently is serving in a federal prison.
Lehder’s sentence—the harshest possible under federal law—sent a strong message to local street dealers and rich international drug dealers alike.
Ernst Mueller
Prosecuting Lawyer
In June 1983, Ernst Mueller was the Assistant United States Attorney in Jacksonville. Mr. Mueller handled the grand jury investigation, indictment, extradition request for Carlos Lehder Rivas. Mueller then traveled to Colombia with United States Attorney Bob Merkle, successfully convincing the Colombian government to grant the extradition.
As part of the prosecution team, Mueller visited Norman’s Cay in the Bahamas to examine evidence against Lehder and his American accomplice, Jack Reed. In preparation for the trial, Mueller took photos of the airstrip, the marina, the houses where co-conspirators lived, and the site where cocaine had been “stashed” before it was smuggled into the United States.
“While there was danger and excitement in the investigation and trial of the case, the nuts and bolts of this successful investigation and prosecution involved patient, tenacious, and skillful investigation and legal work.”
—Ernst Mueller
The remains of Carlos Lehder’s Norman’s Cay hideaway
Lydia Blakey
United States Marshals Service
Lehder, as a founding member of the notorious Medellin Drug Cartel, had the potential to disrupt the judicial process. His arrest caused a significant increase in threats to federal judges and prosecutors. The United States Marshals provided security to the court.
“During Lehder’s trial in Jacksonville, I was part of an elite United States Marshals Service team, which provided threat intelligence information in support of protecting the federal judges, and the United States attorney and assistants. This was the most significant protection detail the Marshals Service had ever undertaken in the Middle District of Florida. It also proved to be an historical time in that our innovative methods, using strategic intelligence to predict and prevent threats against our protectees, became the precursor for the Marshals Service’s Protective Intelligence Investigators, who currently protect the federal judiciary throughout the United States.”
—Lydia Blakey