Colombia’s National Police arrested 12 alleged members of drug trafficking organization “Los Rastrojos” who are wanted by US authorities.
All arrested suspects are suspected wanted to face drug charges by the Southern Florida District Court for allegedly forming a ring dedicated to trafficking cocaine from the Caribbean port city of Cartagena to the US.
The suspected members of the Rastrojos were arrested in cities throughout the country.
According to Colombian authorities, a two-and-a-half year investigation carried out in cooperation with the FBI revealed that the drug ring got the drugs from the southwestern department of Cauca after which is was sent to Cartagena by truck.
In Cartagena, the drugs was hidden in specially prepared suitcases and sent to Honduras from where the cocaine was sent to the US.
The arrests follow a drug bust in Cartagena earlier this year. In that operation, police found cocaine, also allegedly belonging to the Rastrojos, inside suitcases. No arrestes were made at that time.
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The arrests made Saturday took place in Bogota, Medellin, Cartagena, Florencia and Puerto Tejada.
The Rastrojos were formed when the now-defunct Norte del Valle cartel some ten years ago when infighting caused the cartel to split. The group lost control over Colombia’s drug trafficking business over the past two years as all its founders were arrested and rival group “Los Urabeños” subsequently expanded into traditional Rastrojos territory.