Birmingham (Alabama, USA), January 19, 2026<\/p>\n\n
Drummond Company, Inc. reports that, on January 15, 2026, in a trial before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, the jury returned a verdict on all counts against attorney Terrence P. Collingsworth and his organization International Rights Advocates (IRAdvocates). The jury concluded Collingsworth and IRAdvocates made false and defamatory accusations that Drummond supported paramilitary groups in Colombia. The jury further found Collingsworth and IRAdvocates violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) through extortion, witness bribery, witness tampering, wire fraud, money laundering, obstruction of justice and conspiracy. The jury determined there was clear and convincing evidence that Collingsworth either knew or recklessly disregarded that his accusations against Drummond were false when he made them. <\/p>\n\n
In the lawsuits Drummond filed\u2014one for defamation and the other for extortion, witness bribery, witness tampering, wire fraud, money laundering, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO)\u2014the jury awarded Drummond US$52 million on the defamation claim and US$68 million on the RICO claims. The RICO award is automatically trebled under the RICO statute, making the total value of the award US$256 million. <\/p>\n\n
According to the verdict and the evidence, Collingsworth made false and defamatory statements in letters to third parties that were calculated to harm Drummond\u2019s reputation and threaten its business. Under the RICO act, Collingsworth was found guilty of witness bribery and tampering based on witness payments exceeding US$400,000 to Jaime Blanco Maya, Jairo de Jesus Charris (a.k.a. \u201cEl Viejo Miguel\u201d), among others. Collingsworth\u2019s conspirators, Colombian attorney Iv\u00e1n Alfredo Otero Mendoza and Dutch businessman Albert van Bilderbeek, were also found liable for RICO. <\/p>\n\n
“This verdict is further proof that Drummond does not have and has not had any ties to illegal organizations. The company has endured decades of malicious accusations and false narratives, which a jury has now unanimously determined to be categorically false, and which today the U.S. courts have categorically disproved,” said Trey Wells, lead trial attorney at the law firm Starnes Davis Florie LLP.<\/p>\n\n
The documents in the case demonstrate that the defendants undertook a coordinated strategy to exert reputational and legal pressure on the company through lawsuits and media campaigns in the United States, Colombia, and Europe, supported by false testimonies obtained through hidden witness payments. <\/p>\n\n
Drummond reiterates its commitment to ethical and responsible operations. The company will continue to operate, as it always has, with respect for the rule of law and the highest standards of integrity. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Birmingham (Alabama, USA), January 19, 2026 Drummond Company, Inc. reports that, on January 15, 2026, in a trial before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, the jury returned a verdict on all counts against attorney Terrence P. Collingsworth and his organization International Rights Advocates (IRAdvocates). The jury concluded Collingsworth and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-press-releases"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n