Colombia police claim anti-drugs success

[Judi Lynn]

7 October 2010 Last updated at 20:59 ET
Colombia police claim anti-drugs success

Colombian police say they have smashed a drug-trafficking network that was exporting several tonnes of cocaine to the US each month.

More than 30 suspects were arrested in co-ordinated raids across the country.

They are accused of belonging to the Urabenos, a powerful cartel founded by former right-wing paramilitaries.

Colombia's Defence Minister, Rodrigo Rivera, said the operation was a major success in the fight against cocaine trafficking.

"With this operation we have affected the entire structure of this organisation dedicated to producing and exporting drugs," he said.

The arrests were made with the help of the US Drug Enforcement Agency.

The Urabenos are one of dozens of violent drugs cartels that emerged in Colombia following the demobilisation of the paramilitary Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC) in 1996.

More:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11498478

[Judi Lynn]

1. Colombia-DEA raid captures 20 traffickers

Colombia-DEA raid captures 20 traffickers
Thursday, 07 October 2010 08:15 Teresa Welsh

Forty people linked to the neo-paramilitary drug trafficking group "Los Urabeños" have been captured by Colombian authorities in collaboration with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), said Defense Minister Rodrigo Rivera.

The arrests took place 10 different departments across Colombia and those detained include Mario de Jesus Jimenez Gomez, alias "El Chuzo." He was wanted for manufacturing, trafficking and transporting drugs.

The ring has members in Venezuela, according to Colombian officials. "It was an international organization dedicated to drug trafficking along the Colombia-Venezuela-U.S. corridor," said Rivera.

Los Urabeños allegedly has a route in the northern department of Meta which they use to transport drugs to the United States, and it is expected that some of those arrested will be wanted for extradition to the U.S.

"Los Urabeños" is defined by Human Rights Watch as a "paramilitary successor group," with close links to members of the demobilized paramilitary coalition AUC. Until his arrest in April 2009, it was led by Daniel Rendon, alias "Don Mario," one of Colombia's three most wanted men at the time. Don Mario was a leader of the AUC who did not demobilize with the organization.

http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/12244-los-urabenos-captured.html