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Join on Telegram Rabat – Colombian authorities have arrested Dairo Antonio Usuga, also known as “Otoniel,” the country’s most wanted drug lord.
Colombian President Iván Duque Marquez confirmed the arrest in a televised address to his nation.
The president compared the arrest to the fall of Pablo Escobar, the drug lord who built a billion-dollar cocaine empire in the 90s.
“Otoniel was the most feared drug trafficker in the world, a murderer of policemen, soldiers, social leaders, and a recruiter of minors,” President Marquez added.
Otoniel was arrested during an operation in a rural area of Colombia’s Antioquia province, with one police officer dying during the operation.
The 50 year old is also wanted for criminal charges relating to drug and firearm trafficking in US cities like Miami, with rewards for information about him reaching millions of dollars.
Clan del Golfo, or Gulf Clan in English, the cartel that Otoniel led, was described by the US State Department as “heavily armed and extremely violent.”
The Americas director of Human Rights Watch, Jose Miguel Vivanco, congratulated Colombia’s government on the capture in a tweet, and called for justice for the victims of Otoniel’s operations.
“Serious efforts have to be made to dismantle armed groups, protect the population, and ensure justice if this capture is going to prevent future abuse,” Vivanco said.
Several security experts voiced similar concerns as well, pointing out that underlings in Usuga’s organization can take his place and that without effective measures to stop criminals at the roots, a new kingpin might arise.
