DOJ says Colombia extradited narcotrafficking suspect known as Araña
The extradition targets a suspect U.S. officials link to a drug-trafficking network stretching from Colombia to cartel-contested territory in Tijuana.
What we know
- The Department of Justice said in a post on X that Colombia and the department extradited a narcotrafficking suspect known as "Araña." [1]
- U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon, representing the Southern District of California, said the extradition "sweeps away a web that starts in the mountains of Putumayo and ends in the brutal, cartel contested plazas of Tijuana," according to the Justice Department's post. [1]
- Gordon said armed criminal groups in Colombia roughly doubled in size before President de la Espriella took office, and said cocaine from those groups has fueled Mexican cartels. [1]
- The Justice Department described the extradition as part of a broader effort with Colombia to target narcoterrorist networks. [1]
- Not yet confirmed: Araña's full identity, the specific charges filed, and the exact date of the extradition are not detailed in the Justice Department's post.
The U.S. Department of Justice said Colombia has extradited a narcotrafficking suspect known as "Araña" as part of a joint effort described as a "clean sweep" of narcoterrorist networks, according to a post on X by the department.
U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon, who represents the Southern District of California, said in a statement quoted by the department: "Colombia and the Department of Justice are making a clean sweep of narcoterrorists, starting with Araña."
Gordon said that before Colombian President de la Espriella took office, armed criminal groups in the country had roughly doubled in size. Gordon said cocaine produced by those groups has fueled Mexican cartels "pumping poison" into U.S. communities.
Describing the scope of the case, Gordon said the extradition "sweeps away a web that starts in the mountains of Putumayo and ends in the brutal, cartel contested plazas of Tijuana."
The Justice Department's post did not provide additional details on the specific charges against Araña, the suspect's full identity, or the timeline of the extradition process.