Colombian police said Thursday they have captured an alleged associate of FARC rebel leader “Ivan Marquez” in Cucuta, Norte de Santander.
According to the police, Miguel Angel Ariñez, alias “El Medico,” is the suspected confidant of FARC rebel leader Ivan Marquez and was arrested at the Cucuta bus terminal a few days after arriving from Venezuela following orders from a FARC commander. His arrest was made possible by the important information obtained after capturing a boss of FARC’s 36th Front in March, the police added.
The purpose of El Medico’s trip to Cucuta was to medically tend to Luis Usuga Restrepo, alias “Isaias Trujillo,” a ringleader of the Ivan Rios bloc, said the police.
Police intelligence claim that Ariñez is an accredited medic and is considered to be a principle link to Ivan Marquez.
National Police Director Oscar Naranjo stressed that the capture was made possible because of the pressure authorities have placed on countries to exert counter-guerrilla forces against the FARC in border areas.