Thursday, September 19

Otoniel: Dairo Antonio Úsuga, the most wanted drug trafficker in Colombia and head of the Gulf Clan, is arrested

The United States offered him a reward of US $ 5 million and this Saturday he was arrested.

In a joint operation of the Army, the Air Force and the Police, called “Osiris”, the Colombian authorities captured Dairo Antonio Úsuga, alias “Otoniel”, considered to be the most wanted drug trafficker in Colombia and the head of the so-called Clan del Golfo.

The president of Colombia, Iván Duque, confirmed the arrest of Úsuga and described it as “the hardest blow that has been dealt to drug trafficking in this century in our country.”

This blow is only comparable to the fall of Pablo Escobar in the years 90 “, he added.

” Alias ​​Otoniel was the most feared drug trafficker in the world, murderer of policemen, soldiers, social leaders, recruiter of minors, “he said. also Duque.

“He is also known for that dementia that led him to repeatedly abuse children and adolescents scent. He was not only on the cartel of those most wanted for drug trafficking, but also for child abuse, “the president explained.

” This coup marks the end of the Gulf Clan, “he said.

According to the Colombian press, against Úsuga there is a red circular issued by Interpol for multiple homicide, multiple kidnapping and conspiracy to commit a crime, among other crimes. In addition, he is the subject of more than 120 judicial processes opened for all types of crimes.

According to the authorities, the Gulf Clan sends tons of cocaine to Central America and the United States.

Diego Molano, Minister of Defense of Colombia, said this Saturday that “in recent years, the Gulf Clan had become the greatest threat” because “the largest number of tons of coca that Colombia shipped to markets in the US and Europe was managed and articulated ”by this criminal organization.

“ At the same time, it had become an articulator of the micro-trafficking business that invaded cities and regions (…) and that had been responsible for disputes between various groups that had generated recent collective homicides ”, added Molano.

Since 2015, there have been numerous operations to try to capture “Otoniel”. They had all failed. Up to now.


Remember that you can receive notifications from BBC News Mundo. Download the latest version of our app and activate them so as not to miss our best content.