What you need to know about cocaine. Video / NZ Herald
An American man, who was the intended buyer of 35kg of cocaine hidden inside a diamante-encrusted horse head and went on the run after the eleborate scheme was uncovered, has pleaded guilty from prison.
Henry Anchondo appeared via video link today in the High Court at Auckland and admitted possessing cocaine for supply.
Arrested in Whangārei on September 19 last year, Anchondo fled after his deal with US man Ronald Wayne Cook Senior, 58, and Mexican national Agustin Suarez-Juarez, 46, went sour.
Cook and Suarez-Juarez were arrested in July 2016 after Customs found 35kg of cocaine inside a diamante-encrusted statue, which arrived by plane from Mexico via Hong Kong.
At the time, it was the largest cocaine seizure in New Zealand history. The drugs had an estimated street value of up to $14 million.
Cook and Suarez-Juarez had flown into New Zealand from Hawaii on May 31, 2016.
But police and Customs officers were watching, having set-up a covert survelliance operation.
After scouting out several locations, Cook and Suarez-Juarez left the country briefly before returning to New Zealand again - assuming it was safe for their drug operation to continue.
Investigators, however, followed the men and watched as they extracted what they believed was their cocaine.
Some of the packaged blocks were taken to Auckland's downtown Crowne Plaza Hotel, where Cook and Suarez-Juarez met their buyer - Anchondo.
The diamante-encrusted horse head statue arrived by plane from Mexico. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Communications between the trio revealed Anchondo was referred to as "David".
However, when the group discovered authorities had switched the cocaine to a placebo they tried to make a hasty escape.
Anchondo disappeared, and Cook and Suarez-Juarez were arrested trying to board a flight to Los Angeles.
Cook and Suarez-Juarez said during their trial last year that they believed the horse head was full of cash, not drugs, and believed they were involved in money laundering.
But the jury found them guilty of possession of and attempting to supply a class-A drug and Justice Sarah Katz sentenced Cook to a total of 17 years and nine months' imprisonment and Suarez-Juarez to 19 years and nine months.
Anchondo meanwhile, who has no criminal record the Crown is aware of, will be sentenced later this year.
He told the court today he is studying criminology while in custody.
Three suspected masterminds were behind the operation, and were referred to by Cook and Suarez-Juarez as the "Godfather, Silverio and the Artist".
