The arrest of drug lord Dairo Antonio Usuga, nicknamed Otoniel, has been called the same important event as the arrest of famous drug dealer Pablo Escobar.
A new Pablo Escobar, the leader of the largest Colombian drug cartel, the Gulf Clan, drug lord Dairo Antonio Usuga, nicknamed Otoniel, has been deported from Colombia to the United States.
He has been called the most dangerous drug lord in the world. In the US, Othoniel is accused of importing at least 73 tons of cocaine between 2003 and 2012.
Weapons in the form of extradition
Extradition is most feared by drug traffickers, and it is precisely the tool that Colombia, one of the main US allies in Latin America, spontaneously uses.
The drug dealer, after seven years of searching, was finally jailed in October last year. Since then, Otoniel has been imprisoned in a maximum security prison in Bogotá.
“We extradited this criminal to serve a sentence for drug trafficking in the United States,” Colombian President Ivan Duque said. “But I want to emphasize that after that he will return to Colombia, where he will have to pay for crimes against this country.”
Otoniel was the most wanted criminal in Colombia before he was arrested. Colombian authorities have set an $ 800,000 reward for information on his whereabouts, while the US has offered $ 5 million.
He was hiding in the woods in the province of Antioquia in northwestern Colombia, near the border with Panama. Eight security rings surround the drug lord’s hideout. The drug lord used a network of hideouts to move around and evade the authorities who were pursuing him. To make surveillance difficult, he did not use a mobile phone and communicated with the outside world using couriers.
The operation was attended by 500 military, supported by 22 helicopters. A policeman was killed. Othoniel himself said that he had given up.
The drug lord’s lawyers objected to his extradition and said he should be allowed to testify before a special tribunal and admit his role in the fight.
Mine cartel
Otoniel is considered the leader of the so -called Gulf Clan (Clan del Golfo) – a powerful criminal organization that deals with drug trafficking, human trafficking, illegal gold mining and extortion.
The United States defines the gang as a “heavily armed and extremely violent” organization. The group operates in 10 of Colombia’s 32 provinces, and also has influence abroad.
Othoniel became the leader of the Gulf Clan after the former leader – his brother, known as Giovanni – was killed in a police operation in 2012, while celebrating the New Year.
Currently, the Klan has approximately 1,200 armed fighters, with key positions held by members of the Usuga family. In recent years, gang members have been arrested in Argentina, Brazil, Honduras, Peru and Spain.
It is known to control many of the drug smuggling channels from Colombia to other countries, especially the United States and Russia.
Colombian authorities, however, believe that in recent years the membership of the organization has been reduced due to police efforts. Many of the Clan leaders are hiding in the depths of the jungle.
Source: korrespondent
