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Ochoa arrives Saturday in Miami, escorted by DEA agents.

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Accused Colombian drug kingpin Fabio Ochoa pleaded not guilty in federal court Monday to charges he took part in a drug trafficking scheme that brought 20 to 30 tons of cocaine per month into the United States and Europe in the 1980s.

The court appearance was Ochoa's first since being extradited Saturday after years of legal efforts to get him tried in the United States.

Ochoa, 44, is an alleged founding father of the infamous Medellin drug cartel.

His lawyer, Jose Quinon, said his client was not given due process in Colombia and that Ochoa is being held in isolation, unable to be visited by his relatives.

"For him, it is a living hell to be here to await trial. But in reality, he has no choice, and he is looking forward to a trial," Quinon said.

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Frank Chellino, the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration's Miami division, said Ochoa is finally getting what he deserves.

"It sends a message to all those individuals throughout the world: If you're going to traffic in large scale quantities of drugs, you must be prepared to face the music in the United States criminal justice arena sooner or later," Chellino told CNN.

Ochoa arrived in Miami just before 6 Saturday morning under tight security. He was escorted by a DEA caravan to the Federal Detention Center in downtown Miami, where he is being held.

Ochoa faces trial for a 1999 federal indictment returned in Fort Lauderdale. Accordng to the DEA, Ochoa and his co-conspirators took part in a trafficking scheme in which 20 to 30 tons of cocaine were smuggled per month into the United States and Europe through Mexico.

The U.S. State Department said Americans in Colombia should "exercise enhanced security awareness" in the wake of Ochoa's extradition.

In a statement released Friday night, it said Americans should be aware of the "history of narcotics traffickers conducting bombings in public areas as a reprisal for or deterrent to extradition."

Two of Ochoa's extradited co-conspirators, Jairo Mesa and Mario Sanchez Cristancho, landed in Miami on a separate plane shortly after Ochoa arrived. They likewise are being held in the Federal Detention Center.

Ochoa was arrested in Colombia in October 1999. The indictment charged Ochoa with two counts of conspiracy to possess, with intent to distribute, five or more kilograms of cocaine.

Law enforcement officials said Ochoa, two of his brothers and the late Pablo Escobar created a multi-billion dollar cocaine empire known as the Medellin Cartel.

A 1986 Miami federal indictment was the first time the "Cocaine Cowboys" were recognized as an organized enterprise.

The Medellin Cartel is blamed for a wave of violence in Colombia that included car bombings and the killings of Colombian officials, including police, judges, an attorney general and a presidential candidate.

Ochoa is among the highest-ranking drug traffickers extradited to the United States. In 1987, another reputed founding member of the cartel, Carlos Lehder, was arrested and brought to Florida, where he was tried and convicted.

After receiving a life sentence, he testified in 1992 against former Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega, entered the federal witness protection program and transferred to a lower-security prison.