FARC guerrilla 'Cesar' was extradited to the United States Thursday. U.S. justice wants to try him on drug charges. 'Cesar' guarded hostages like Ingrid Betancourt and three U.S. military contractors before his arrest in July 2008.
'Cesar', handcuffed and wearing a military-style combat helmet and bullet-proof vest, boarded a U.S. government plane on late Thursday morning, heading for Washington.
Earlier that day 'Cesar' was moved from his Bogota prison to the El Catam military airport where officials of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) took him into custody.
The guerrilla, whose real name is Gerardo Antonio Aguilar, "was commander of the First Front of the FARC and in that position in charge of the production and distribution of cocaine to the United States," Colombia's Supreme Court ruled in February when it allowed the extradition of the guerrilla.
'Cesar' is considered the FARC's jailor, who was in charge of many of the FARC's high profile hostages. He and FARC guerrilla 'Alexander 'Gafas' Farfan Suarez were arrested in the operation that liberated Betancourt and U.S. citizens Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell and Thomas Howes.
The Supreme Court refused the extradition of 'Gafas', because it considered the guerrilla's crimes were committed within Colombian jurisdiction.
