Ecuador deported three alleged FARC members to Colombia, CM& News reported Sunday.
Ecuador’s armed forces made the arrests on May 9, as part of a military operation against rebel forces in their territory.
“The men were handed to Milton Fajardo Guevarda, the lieutenant colonel of the Colombian army. Colombian Police as well as migration employees were also present,” stated Edmundo Merlo, the police chief of Orellana, a province in northeastern Ecuador.
Among those captured was Jhon Alexis Mendoza Otavo, alias “Fredermiro,” reportedly the former head of finances for the FARC’s 48th Front. Luis Alberto Mendoza Otavo and Cristian Jhonal Grueso Quiñonez were also detained.
The delivery of the alleged FARC members took place on the international bridge over the San Miguel River, which joins the two countries.
According to Ecuadorian authorities, the Colombian rebel group operates in several zones along the border. The 700km boundary is in large part jungle terrain, and guerrilla camps are difficult to detect.
Colombian officials have accused Ecuador and Venezuela of harboring the guerrilla group in the past. Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa has fervently denied the claims and pledged to eliminate FARC presence within the country.