He has been cited as "... one of the most powerful and most elusive drug traffickers in Colombia" by Adam J. Szubin, Director of the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

[10] He pleaded guilty to murder and drug charges in 2010 and, as part of a plea deal, agreed to become a witness for the US government in return for a 25 year sentence.

Once the drugs arrive in their destination in the United States, it is then believed they are transported to New York City, where distribution cells controlled by Ramírez then sell the product.

[1][2][14] In August 2000 the U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) declared Ramírez a "Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker," allowing the seizure of funds connected to, or stemming from his illegal activities.

In a one-week period Colombian officials discovered over $54 million in cash and gold ingots, hidden in buildings in the south-eastern portion of Cali.

The stash of money and gold was located in vacuum sealed plastic bags inside locked steel chambers covered in concrete which was tiled over.

[4][15][16][17] On August 7, 2007, Ramírez was arrested with his private pilot Candido.Norberto.G.Portella/Caiado in Aldeia da Serra, a wealthy neighborhood of Barueri, state of São Paulo, by Brazilian Federal Police during a raid.

While incarcerated in Brazil, Ramirez learned of a plot to kidnap one of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's children for extortion, and helped halt the effort.

[20] Ramirez pleaded guilty to murder and drug charges in 2010 and, as part of a plea deal, agreed to become a witness for the US government in return for a 25 year sentence.

[5] Prosecutors credited him with information used to indict Jesus Zambada Garcia, Héctor Beltrán Leyva, and Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.

[11][12] When pressed by El Chapo's defense about his records of having paid for 150 murders-for-hire, he said he couldn't recall the exact number but admitted to several specific cases.