The United States Embassy in Colombia this Sunday congratulated Colombian President Iván Duque on the arrest of Dairio Antonio Úsuga, alias ‘Otoniel’, leader of the Gulf Clan.
“The United States celebrates the enormous efforts of the Colombian government that have led to the capture and arrest of Dairo Antonio Úsuga alias ‘Otoniel’,” said a spokesman for the United States Embassy in Colombia.
The Embassy itself has published a message on Twitter in which it specifically congratulates Duque. “Congratulations to the Government of Colombia and Iván Duque for the capture of the violent drug trafficker ‘Otoniel’. The cooperation of the security forces plays a fundamental role in providing Colombians with the security they deserve,” he said.
A spokesperson has highlighted that he is an “extremely violent drug trafficker” who has been wanted by the United States since 2009. Specifically, he is required by at least three US courts – the Southern District Court of Florida, the Eastern District Court of New York and the Court of the Southern District of New York – to answer for crimes related to drug trafficking and the use of weapons.
“He and those under his command have used violence and intimidation to wreak havoc on the lives of Colombians in rural areas for decades,” recalled a spokesman for the US Embassy.
“Along with efforts to achieve sustainable development and our holistic approach to counternarcotics operations, bilateral cooperation in law enforcement brings Colombians closer to the lasting security they deserve,” he added, according to the Colombian newspaper ‘ The viewer’.
In Colombia, Otoniel is accused of dozens of crimes, since there are already six final sentences against him. According to the Police, Úsuga is responsible for the support and criminal expansion of the organized armed group of the Gulf Clan, made up of 3,800 members.
