The leader of a criminal group responsible for heading Colombia’s largest neo-paramilitary organization has been arrested in northern Colombia, National Police confirmed on Sunday.
Alonso Perez, alias “El Gato,” was apprehended by members of the National Police on charges of conspiracy to commit crime, kidnapping, and extortion, according to a press release from the National Police.
El Gato was arrested in the northern, coastal state of Sucre after a successful operation by the National Police.
He was in charge of the criminal gang “Clan Usuga” and was responsible for various illegal activities such as targeted killings, extortion, kidnapping, drug trafficking, and other criminal activities, said the press release from the police.
“It is of great importance to the organization because in this part of the country he was considered the henchman to alias ‘Otoniel’ and was in charge of arranging targeted killings in the department [state] and exercised control over extortion in the region,” read the statement.
El Gato became the terror of the state of Sucre and was responsible for directing and arranging the payment of salaries to the members of the organization as well as managing logistical resources such as firearms, ammunition, and vehicles.
The investigation conducted by Colombia’s judicial police (DIJIN) established that he was responsible for 25 murders in the region.
Clan Usaga is considered to be in charge of Colombia’s most prominent neo-paramilitary and drug trafficking organization, the Urabeños.
In March of 2012, another member of the Urabeños with the same alias, “El Gato,” was captured in Colombia’s northern state of Magdalena as the organization’s chief financial officer.
MORE: ‘Los Urabeños’ finance boss captured
Sources
- Cayó terror del “Clan Úsuga” en Sucre (Policia Nacional de Colombia)