One of the most important members of the defunct Cali cartel was extradited to the United States on Tuesday to face prosecution for drug trafficking.
Phanor Arizabaleta Arzayus, the number-five man in the Cali Cartel, had been awaiting extradition since it was authorized in March 2011. The 73-year-old drug trafficker asked that his case be expedited due to his deteriorating health.
One of the original members of the cartel, Arzayus has a long history of narcotrafficking. He surrendered himself to authorities in 1995 and was sentenced to 28 years in prison, 15 of which he actually served. His release was ordered last year because of his health concerns.
Arzayus was re-arrested in September 2010 and charged with importing drugs to the U.S. from Colombia through various countries in Central America.
Extradited with Arzayus was Mario Satizabal Germain, the second in command of the Norte del Valle cartel, the drug trafficking organization formed from the ashes of the Cali Cartel. Leader of the Norte del Valle cartel Ramon Quintero, alias “RQ,” was also authorized for extradition to the U.S. on Tuesday.