Durinbg the 50's and 60's Trafficante was smuggling drugs from Cuba.During the late 60's some of Trafficante's Cuban drug connections gor arrested,guys like Lazaro Milian and Oscar Alvarez.So some sources say that during the 70's Trafficante smuggled drugs from Saigon,Hong Kong,and Singapore.

Dont know anything about any connections with the Colombians.As you said,the Trafficante's were small family in the late 70's and early 80s.Maybe the Colombians took over cuz they were more powerful,big number of soldiers and more ruthless than the rest of o.c. groups.Remember the situation with the Demeo crew?!They had to apologize to the Colombians by killing one of their own.