Drug lord Dairo Antonio Usuga captured

 

Colombia arrests Otoniel, kingpin drug lord and gang leader

Dairo Antonio Usuga David, alias "Otoniel", top leader of the Gulf clan, is escorted by Colombian military after being captured, in Turbo, Colombia October 23, 2021. Colombian Defense Ministry/Handout via REUTERS

Colombia's armed forces have captured Dairo Antonio Usuga, known as Otoniel, in the biggest blow to drug trafficking in the Andean country since the death of Pablo Escobar, President Ivan Duque said on Saturday.

Colombian President Iván Duque Márquez on Saturday on national television confirmed the arrest of Dairo Antonio Usuga known as Otoniel. He said the overthrow of this man was compared to the fall of Pablo Escobar who died in 1993 after building a multi-billion dollar empire for the cocaine trade. "Otoniel was the best drug dealer in the world, is accused of killing police officers, recruiting minors, and sexually abusing children among other crimes.

Colombia's President Ivan Duque speaks during a statement on the capture of Dairo Antonio Usuga David, alias "Otoniel", top leader of the Gulf clan, in Tolemaida, Colombia October 23, 2021. Colombian Presidency/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.

The British news agency reports that 50-year-old Otoniel was arrested by Colombian authorities in an attack on a rural village in the Uraba region of Colombia, in the province of Antioch. One policeman was killed in the attack, the report said.

Otoniel rose to become the leader of the drug trafficking group the Clan del Golfo, or Gulf Clan, following stints as a left-wing guerrilla and later as a paramilitary.

Dairo Antonio Usuga David, alias "Otoniel", top leader of the Gulf clan, poses for a photo while escorted by Colombian military soldiers inside a helicopter after being captured, in Turbo, Colombia October 23, 2021. Colombian Defense Ministry/Handout via REUTERS

Otoniel was indicted in 2009 by the Southern District of New York. The State Department has released about $ 5 million in information leading to his arrest, while Colombia has donated about 3 billion pounds (about $ 800,000) to get his information, according to Reuters