Narcotics came to dominate the remainder of Ylitalo's tenure as Ambassador, becoming a topic that was always discussed in his conversations with Paraguayan officials. In April 1971, the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs successfully infiltrated the smuggling operation and found that Auguste Ricord was controlling the operation, which had smuggled five thousand kilograms of heroin into the United States between 1965 and 1970. The Paraguayans detained Ricord, but, much to the dismay of the United States, refused to extradite him.
