By Aishat Ibrahim
Colombian drug lord, Dairo Antonio Úsuga, known as Otoniel, has been nabbed in his rural hideout, Antioquia province in North Western Colombia after a joint Army, Air Force and Police Operation.
The 50-year-old was captured on Saturday in an operation involving 500 soldiers supported by 22 helicopters. His movement was traced by the Combination of US and UK agencies using over 50 signal intelligence experts with the aid of satellite imagery.
Otoniel was said to be on the Most Wanted list of US Drug Enforcement Agency as he had led the country’s largest drug trafficking gang — with operations in many provinces and has extensive international connections.
He was alleged of trafficking at least 73 metrics tonnes of cocaine into US between 2003 and 2014. The US officials had also placed a $5m (£3.6m) worth on his head.
According to Colombia’s Defence Minister Diego Molano, the next step for officials is to comply with the US extradition order.
However, it was gathered that the Colombian authorities have now taken Otoniel to a military base in the capital Bogotá ahead of his extradition to the United States.
