Opinion ID: 3214771
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Bonilla’s Background and Social Status

Text: Bonilla, a 64-year-old Colombian citizen, was a well-respected member of the Colombian community. Bonilla served as a pilot for Colombia’s national airline for over 25 years. Thereafter, Bonilla assumed high-ranking positions for the Colombian government, including serving as the Director of Air Safety for the 1 Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents of Fed. Bureau of Narcotics, 403 U.S. 388, 91 S. Ct. 1999 (1971) (establishing that a plaintiff may bring suit directly under the Constitution against federal officers in their individual capacity for constitutional violations). 2 Case: 15-15327 Date Filed: 06/20/2016 Page: 3 of 15 Civil Aviation Authority of Colombia. In 2004, Bonilla retired from his position as Director, began working as an aviation consultant, and also started a part-time business brokering the sale and lease of airplanes. B. Investigation, Arrest, Detention, and Prosecution of Bonilla At some point prior to June 2012, the United States initiated an investigation into an international drug smuggling operation occurring in Colombia. While the investigation was a “highly coordinated” effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) and Colombian law enforcement, the United States was “in charge.” As part of the investigation, DEA agents made monthly payments to Colombian narcotics officers and paid them “bonuses” for their investigative efforts. On June 28, 2012, Bonilla was extradited to a prison in Florida where a DEA agent arrested Bonilla on suspicion of drug-smuggling activity. The United States accused Bonilla of selling airplanes to drug traffickers and claimed that phone wiretaps proved as much. However, the apparently incriminating wiretaps actually demonstrated that Bonilla refused to sell airplanes to people that he suspected were drug traffickers and, according to Bonilla, affirmatively established his innocence. Bonilla alleged that “the Defendants maliciously and recklessly arrested, prosecuted and detained [him] due to his alleged involvement in a 3 Case: 15-15327 Date Filed: 06/20/2016 Page: 4 of 15 complex drug smuggling operation . . . in spite of [their] knowledge that he was innocent of any wrongdoing.” The United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida delegated responsibility for prosecuting Bonilla to Defendant Andrea Hoffman, an Assistant United States Attorney. Bonilla alleged that prosecutor Hoffman unlawfully withheld exculpatory phone wiretaps despite his repeated requests for the disclosure of such evidence. Bonilla also alleged that Hoffman unlawfully withheld evidence proving that the DEA paid “bonuses” to individual Colombian narcotics police officers for their investigative efforts. According to Bonilla, Hoffman tried to “create a case against [him] that simply did not exist,” going so far as to represent that a secret witness existed who would testify against him. In August 2012, the United States dismissed all charges against Bonilla. Bonilla’s arrest and detention negatively impacted his family life, mental health, credibility, reputation, and ability to secure employment.