FARC rebel indicted for kidnapping of 3 Americans

Colombian prosecutors on Tuesday indicted FARC guerrilla Wilkin Fernando
Lugo, held responsible for the kidnappings of three Americans who were
released in the 2008 military operation ‘Jaque’.

According to investigations of the prosecution, Lugo, alias ‘Teofilo Florero’ and head of the FARC column 55, attacked the small plane carrying four American contractors and one Colombian army officer on February 13, 2003.

The guerrillas killed American military contractor Ton Jany and Air Force Sergeant Luis Alcides Cruz. The other three Americans, Keith Stansell, Marc Gonsalves and Thomas Howes, were kidnapped and held in captivity for more than five years. In July 2, 2008 the Colombian army rescued them together with former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and eleven members of the security forces.

The Prosecutor General’s Office accused ‘Teofilo Florero’ of crimes of aggravated ransom kidnapping, conspiracy to commit a crime and aggravated homicide.

Lugo is already serving a sentence for other crimes in a prison in Bogota.

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