Colombia police kill accused top drug trafficker who escaped jail
BOGOTA (Reuters) – Juan Larinson Castro, higher often called Matamba, an accused high Colombian drug trafficker who escaped a maximum-security jail within the Andean nation earlier this 12 months, was killed in a police operation to try to recapture him on Thursday, the federal government stated.
Matamba was an essential member of Colombia’s main drug-trafficking gang, the Clan del Golfo, and was accused of being allied with Mexican cartels and of delivery tonnes of cocaine to america.
Although captured throughout his birthday celebrations in Could 2021 within the metropolis of Bucaramanga, capital of Colombia’s Santander province, Matamba later fled a maximum-security jail within the capital Bogota final March whereas dressed as a jail guard, in keeping with police.
Matamba, 41, had connections with FARC dissidents who reject a 2016 peace take care of the federal government. A court docket in Florida sought his extradition to america.
The accused drug trafficker was killed in Santander province simply weeks after Dairo Antonio Usuga, the Clan del Golfo’s high chief higher often called Otoniel, was extradited to america to face drug trafficking fees.
Matamba held alliances with the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Era Mexican cartels who, in keeping with safety sources, ship high-caliber arms to Colombia in cost for cocaine shipments, which rival gangs use to combat for management of areas key to drug trafficking.
These cartels are additionally working extra carefully with cocaine producers, the sources say, pushing crops of extra productive coca vegetation, from which cocaine is derived, and paying coca growers upfront.
Regardless of years preventing a warfare on medication, Colombia continues to be a serious cocaine producer and faces fixed stress from america to cut back coca crop sizes and cocaine output.
Gross sales of the drug assist finance unlawful armed teams in Colombia amid a long-running inside battle that has left at some 260,000 folks lifeless and displaced tens of millions extra.
(Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta; Writing by Oliver Griffin; Enhancing by Invoice Berkrot)
