SANTO DOMINGO.- The United States Embassy has filed three extradition requests against ex Navy captain Rafael Heriberto Almonte Reyes “El Gordo," (the fatman) said to be linked to a drug trafficking and money laundering organization in the country.

Almonte’s ring has allegedly expanded to Central America, Europe, North America and South America since 2005. He was arrested once the Supreme Court approved a request by the Justice Ministry, which aims to fuse the three requests.

Also involved in the case are the ex Navy lieutenant Carlos Rossó, lieutenant commander Miguel Antonio Suárez Silfa and other officers whose last names are Rodriguez and González.

Diplomatic note 313 details the spectacular actions by the former officer in the underworld, which led to the arrest warrant issued in Georgia South District Federal Court for laundering money from narcotics and other crimes.

It said a federal grand jury in Georgia indicted him together with 16 other accomplices by on January 21, 2009, on charges of money laundering, conspiracy to distribute cocaine and other controlled substances, and financial transactions to launder money from the distribution of cocaine.

The file affirms Almonte was a member of the Black Market Press Exchange (BMPE), an illicit laundering scheme based in Colombia.  “The drug dealers which have large amounts of American currencies obtained by selling drugs in the United States have the capacity to change dollars for local pesos."

Based on the information, undercover agents were able to identify the individuals who were working with Almonte in the money laundering operations.