Colombia’s security forces carried out three major operations, resulting in the arrests of 470 men, 10 of which are wanted on extradition charges by Honduras and the US.
The operations were in accordance with the “marathon for security” initiative and were conducted by the narcotics division of the national police in accordance with the Attorney General’s office and the US drug enforcement agency DEA.
Six men were captured in the capital Bogota, all wanted on extradition charges by the Southern District court of New York for smuggling heroin into the US.
In Maicoa, in the northern department of La Guajira two men were captured, both of whom are wanted on extradition charges by the Federal court of the Southern district of Florida.
After two years of investigations the narcotics division attained enough evidence that links these two men to a criminal network who specialize in the shipment and delivery of drugs from the shores of Guajira to the US, via central America.
In Cartegena, alias “Sinbad” who is sought for extradition by the Trial Court of La Ceiba in Honduras, was also captured by police forces.
A further citizen, wanted by the District Court for the Southern District of New York, was arrested in Cali. This person is accused of creating a network of drug dealers who specialize in sending couriers either ingested with heroin, or who conceal it in suitcases with false bottoms.
The “Marathon for Security” initiative was launched on Tuesday and aims to increase the security of Colombian citizens by tackling micro trafficking, highway robbery and other criminal activities.