Colombian forces capture country's most wanted drug lord

Colombian military forces and police captured the South American nation's most wanted drug trafficker, Dairo Antonio Úsuga, in his rural hideout near the Panama border on Saturday, reports BBC. The government had offered a $800,000 reward for confirmed information on how to find him; the U.S. had offered $5 million.
Úsuga, better known by his alias Otoniel, is the leader of Colombia's largest criminal gang, per BBC. He became the head of the Gulf Clan after his brother, its previous leader, was killed by police during a raid nearly 10 years ago. Saturday's operation involved 500 soldiers supported by 22 helicopters. It was one of many attempts to capture the "50-year-old in recent years, but until now none have been successful," writes BBC.
"Otoniel's capture is truly important," Daniel Mejía, a Colombian university professor and narco-trafficking expert, told The Washington Post. "He was the head of the most powerful narco-trafficking structure in Colombia, the Gulf Clan, which holds domain of a broad part of the territory."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The drug lord is now looking at a "number of charges, including sending shipments of cocaine to the US, killing police officers, and recruiting children," per BBC.
"This is the biggest blow against drug trafficking in our country this century," said Columbian President Iván Duque Márquez, praising the news in a televised message. "This blow is only comparable to the fall of Pablo Escobar in the 1990s."
But despite his celebration, some — like Sergio Guzmán, director of the consulting firm Colombia Risk Analysis — worry Otoniel's arrest "is not going to move the needle in terms of the war on drugs," Guzmán told the Post. "Soon we'll have another kingpin and another drug lord who may be much worse."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
Iran nukes program set back months, early intel suggests
Speed Read A Pentagon assessment says US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites only set the program back by months, not years. This contradicts President Donald Trump's claim.
-
Trump says Iran and Israel agreed to ceasefire
Speed Read This followed a night of Israeli airstrikes on Tehran and multiple waves of missiles fired by Iran
-
Israel strikes Iran, killing military and nuclear chiefs
Speed Read Israeli officials said the attack was a 'preemptive' strike on Iran's nuclear program
-
Israel deports Thunberg after seizing Gaza aid boat
speed read The Swedish activist was delivering food and medical aid to Palestine, highlighting the growing humanitarian crisis there
-
Colombian senator shot on streets of Bogotá
speed read Miguel Uribe Turbay, who has announced his candidacy for next year's presidential election, was shot at a rally
-
Trump says Putin vowed retaliation for Kyiv strike
speed read The Russian president intends to respond to Ukraine's weekend drone strikes on Moscow's warplanes
-
Dutch government falls over immigration policy
speed read The government collapsed after anti-immigration politician Geert Wilders quit the right-wing coalition