An suspected Colombian drug trafficker, captured in Venezuela, had allegedly escaped the country with a large sum of money stolen from the FARC rebel group., Colombian police said Tuesday.
Gildardo Garcia Cardona, alias “Alirio Rojas,” suspected partner of drug boss Daniel “El Loco” Barrera, was arrested in a joint operation between Colombian and Venezuelan authorities.
Colombia’s judicial police director said Garcia was fleeing the country from the FARC after running off with money that the subversive group had hidden in a cove.
“According to investigations and intelligence work, this subject was fleeing from the FARC, because he had allegedly absconded with a large sum of money that was destined to be invested in drug trafficking activities with the organization of Loco Barrera,” General Carlos Ramiro Mena commented.
Mena also indicated that Garcia was allegedly responsible for making contacts in order to send drugs through Central America to the United States.
Garcia was captured in the state of Merida, Venezuela as confirmed by Colombia’s Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon.
The defense minister expects the offender to be sent to Colombia, but said he understands that “in Venezuela there are legal procedures that naturally, need to be followed.” However, “obviously, here we have the expectation that these criminals will end up paying for their crimes in the corresponding location.”