Washington, New York Times. One of the most wanted people in Colombia and the dreaded leader of the country’s big drug smuggling gang, Diaro Antonio Yousuga alias Otonial, has been arrested by the military forces there.
Colombian President Ivan Duque himself gave this information on Saturday, who is constantly engaged in efforts to stop terrorist violence in the country. Colombia had announced a reward of $8 million (about Rs 6 crore) and the US $ 5 million (about Rs 37 crore) for information about Yusuga.
Yusuga, 50, is the leader of the Colombian violent drug smuggling gang ‘Clan del Golfo’ that both the military and police have been on the lookout for. This gang has also been a target of America for smuggling cocaine. President Duke described Yusuga as the world’s most dreaded drug smuggler and blamed him for the murders of several police officers
soldiers and politicians. In his address to the nation, he said, ‘This is the toughest blow in our country to tackle drug smuggling in this century. It can only be compared with the fall of Pablo Escobar in 1990.
According to the national police, Yusuga was arrested from the remote mountains and a 34-year-old officer was killed in the action. The US State Department described him as the leader of an armed and highly violent gang that includes members of the terrorist group.
According to the department, the Clan del Golfo uses violence and intimidation to control drug smuggling routes, cocaine processing laboratories and secret airstrips.
Colombian government can get very important information
Colombia’s Defense Minister Diego Molano said the gang had become a threat in recent years as it had distributed tons of cocaine not only in the country but also in the US and Europe. If Yousuga opens his mouth to investigators, the Colombian government could get valuable information about the inner workings of its complex criminal organization.
Said after the arrest, beat me
The Colombian government said on Sunday that after his arrest, Yousuga told security forces, ‘You beat me.’ 500 soldiers of Colombian special forces and 22 helicopters were deployed in the operation in Antioquia province to arrest him. His gang has a presence in 12 of the country’s 32 provinces and has around 3,800 members.
According to Colombia’s Defense Ministry, Yusuga’s gang smuggled around 200 tons of cocaine each year and is responsible for the deaths of more than 200 Colombian security forces.
