Colombian drug boss
should first stand trial
at home, not U.S.
A Colombian drug boss
wanted by the U.S. for a
string of alleged drug
and racketeering
offenses should first
stand trial for an array
of similar charges in
his home country,
Colombia's law chief
said Wednesday.
Juan Carlos Ramirez
Abadia, nicknamed "Chupeta,"
was arrested at a luxury
house on the outskirts
Sao Paulo in Brazil
Tuesday. Police found
nearly us$1 million
dollars in various
currencies stashed in
the property.
According to local media
reports, the U.S.
authorities have called
for Ramirez's direct
extradition, as he faces
three federal
indictments for drug
trafficking and
racketeering.
But Colombian Attorney
General Mario Iguaran
says this would be
illegal because Ramirez
is a Colombian and is
wanted by the Colombian
government.
Iguaran said Ramirez
should first be
extradited to Colombia
to stand trial because
he is accused of
committing many crimes
in his home country,
including drug
trafficking and money
laundering.
The U.S. government
describes Ramirez, a top
leader of Colombia's
biggest cocaine cartel
-- the Norte del Valle
Cartel, as "extremely
violent" and estimates
his fortune at 1.8
billion U.S. dollars.
The U.S. had offered 5
million dollars for
information leading to
his capture.
Preliminary
investigations indicate
that Ramirez has been
living in Brazil for
about three years and
has several properties
in the country.
According to the U.S.
authorities, Ramirez has
been active in the drug
trade since 1986. In the
1990s his organization
allegedly managed to
smuggle tons of cocaine
into the United States
through its border with
Mexico.
"Chupeta" turned himself
in to the Colombian
authorities in 1996 and
was jailed until 2002,
but he remained in the
drug trade after his
release.
Colombia Wednesday made
a request to Brazil for
the extradition of
Ramirez. |
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