It was meant to be a fun-filled trip with his family to Disney World, but reality set in for a former senior Venezuelan judge when he stepped off a flight in Miami and federal agents carted him off to jail. Benny Palmeri-Bacchi, 46, never made it to the Orlando theme park, and instead today it was revealed he will now be spending at least 20 years in prison over links to Colombian drug cartels. Mr Palmeri walked into the 'bear trap' in July after a secretive and far-reaching inquiry by US investigators into links between Venezuelan government officials and Colombian 'narcos'.
@highlight
Benny Palmeri-Bacchi, a senior Venezuelan judge, arrived on family holiday
@highlight
But agents arrested him over 'narco' links  as he stepped off Miami flight
@highlight
Palmeri is the first ally of late president to face jail over ties to smugglers
@highlight
Claimed he took bribes to ease shipments of cocaine transported to U.S.
Venezuela's self-styled socialist government has always denied claims it has links with smugglers who traffic cocaine from @placeholder through its 1,400 mile porous border with the neighbouring country.