A reputed drug lord who was extradited to the United States last week from Brazil has pleaded not guilty in a large cocaine smuggling scheme.
Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia entered the plea Monday in federal court in Brooklyn and was ordered held without bail.
U.S. prosecutors allege that Ramirez Abadia was a leader of a Colombian cartel that shipped cocaine worth $10 billion into the United States between 1990 and 2003.
They also say Ramirez Abadia, whose nickname is "Lollipop," played key roles in the killings of rivals.
He was captured last year in Brazil, where he was living in a luxurious home.
