COLOMBIA: Colombian authorities arrest leader of paramilitary group

Record ID: 449625

  • Title: COLOMBIA: Colombian authorities arrest leader of paramilitary group
  • Date: 4th April 2007
  • Summary: (BN05) ANTIOQUIA, COLOMBIA (FILE) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ALIAS "HH" WHILE HE WAS GIVING UP THE WEAPONS DURING CEASEFIRE VARIOUS OF PARAMILITARY ARMIES IN CEASEFIRE CEREMONY ALIAS HH GIVING UP HIS RIFLE
  • Embargoed: 19th April 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Colombia
  • Country: Colombia
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,War / Fighting
  • Reuters ID: LVAEWUU743FWWHF9LKSAURN68CR0
  • Story Text: Colombian Police captured and presented to the media on Tuesday (April 03) one of the leaders of the paramilitary group who is being accused of drugtrafficking and of organizing illegally armed groups in different regions of the country.
    Colombia's Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos told reporters that the arrest of Ever Veloza García was a severe blow to the paramilitary group because of his position within the organization.
    "This Alias HH is the right hand of Vicente Castaño; we also want to repeat that there is a five million dollars reward," Santos said.
    Authorities captured Veloza Garica and four others in the town of Tarso, Antioquia, some 250 kilometres northeast of Bogotá. Weapons, communication equipment, and cash were confiscated during the arrest.
    Veloza led a faction of the paramilitary group that controlled a banana producing region for years and had reached a ceased-fire agreement in 2004.
  • Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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