They capture alias Otoniel, the most wanted drug trafficker in Colombia, head of the ‘Clan del Golfo’

The number one of the criminal gang of the Gulf Clan, Dairo Antonio Úsuga David, alias “Otoniel”, the most wanted drug trafficker in Colombia, was captured in a joint operation of the Police and the Armed Forces in the northwest of the country, reported this Saturday local media.

The Government has not confirmed the capture, although the House of Nariño announced a statement by President Iván Duque, which has not yet been produced, but in images released by different media, the captured man is seen smiling, dressed in pants and black shirt and with the hands tied behind his back, when he is led by soldiers armed with rifles after getting off a military helicopter.

According to the first information, the capture took place in the rural area of ​​El Totumo, which is part of the municipality of Necoclí, in the Gulf of Urabá, in northwestern Colombia, where the Clan del Golfo emerged, which later spread to other regions of the country.

Six-year search operation

Alias ​​“Otoniel” was searched intensely since 2015 in the Urabá region by thousands of police and military participants in the two phases of “Operation Agamemnon”, through which dozens of men under his command were captured and seized tons of cocaine.

In September 2017, after the signing of peace with the FARC and the opening of dialogues with the guerrillas of the National Liberation Army (ELN), alias “Otoniel” announced in a video posted on social networks his intention to submit to the justice, which made Colombians think about the possibility of achieving peace after more than half a century of armed conflict on various internal fronts.

According to the Colombian government, the Clan del Golfo is responsible for sending tons of cocaine to the United States, as well as setting up a criminal network dedicated to collecting extortions from businessmen and merchants in the Urabá region, on the border with Panama, and on the coast. Atlantic mainly.

He is also accused of murdering numerous police officers and social leaders as part of his terror strategy in the areas where the gang operates.

For these reasons, “Otoniel” has more than a hundred processes open in the Colombian justice system and Interpol was looking for him with a red circular.

The news of the capture of alias “Otoniel” was received with relief by politicians of different aspects, such as the liberal candidate for the Presidency Juan Fernando Cristo, who described it as “an important blow” of the “Military Forces against organized crime.” and called for “persisting in the persecution of violent groups.”

“I congratulate the government of Pdte. Iván Duque for the capture of “Otoniel”, top leader of the Clan del Golfo. “Otoniel” must be held accountable for the hundreds of crimes committed under his command. The victims deserve justice, ”Human Rights Watch Executive Director for the Americas, José Miguel Vivanco, wrote on Twitter. (I)