Diego León Montoya Sánchez
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| Diego León Montoya Sánchez | |
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| Born | January 11, 1958 Trujillo, Colombia |
| Alias(es) | Don Diego |
| Status | Captured |
| Occupation | Leader of the Norte del Valle Cartel |
Diego León Montoya Sánchez also known as Don Diego among other aliases (born 11 January 1958 or 1961 in Trujillo, Valle del Cauca) is a former Colombian crime boss leader of the Norte del Valle drug cartel.
On 6 May 2004 he became the 478th fugitive listed by the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.[1] Montoya was also wanted in Colombia, where authorities started numerous operations to capture him or his interests.[2]
The United States Department of State's Narcotics Rewards Program offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading directly to his arrest or conviction, the highest amount offered at the time for a non-terrorist fugitive, effectively making the priority of his capture second only to that of Osama bin Laden.
On 15 January 2007, Montoya Sánchez's brother and co-leader of the cartel, Eugenio, was captured in Colombia.[3] On 10 September 2007 Colombian authorities announced that they had arrested Montoya Sánchez himself in the west of the country after a long manhunt, [1].[4]
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[edit] Statement from FBI
Montoya Sánchez was being sought in connection with the manufacture and distribution of multiple tons of cocaine, knowing or intending that it would be imported into the United States. Montoya is reputedly one of the principal leaders of the Colombian North Valley cartel. The North Valley cartel is believed to be the most powerful and violent drug trafficking organization in Colombia. The cartel reportedly relies heavily for protection on illegal armed groups, taking help from right-wing paramilitaries as well as leftist rebels.
Montoya Sánchez has used the known aliases Diego Montoya, Diego Sanchez-Montoya, "Don Diego", "El Señor de la Guerra" (the warlord), "El Ciclista" (the cyclist).
Montoya was thought to be under the protection of the Colombian paramilitary group, United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC). However the paramilitary group fully demobilized in early 2007.
[edit] Description
| Dates of Birth Used | 11 January 1958; 11 January 1961 |
| Hair | Black |
| Place of Birth | Trujillo, Colombia |
| Eyes | Brown |
| Height | 6′ 0″ (183 cm) |
| Complexion | Medium |
| Weight | 230 pounds (104 kg) |
| Build | Heavy |
| Sex | Male |
| Race | White (Hispanic) |
| Occupation | Rancher |
| Nationality | Colombian |
| Scars and Marks | Surgical scars on his lower back and legs due to injuries sustained in an automobile accident |
[edit] Bribing of Colombian military and police forces
On 26 August 2007 the Colombian media reported that members of the Norte del Valle Cartel had been bribing military and police units to deactivate radars and allow the cartel to ship illegal drugs from Colombia. The newspaper El Tiempo reported that the Colombian Navy had been the most infiltrated through bribes ordered by Montoya Sánchez and his men. The newspaper also revealed the possible involvement of an Admiral of the Colombian Navy named Gabriel Arango who used his influence to support drug cartels. Arango marked documents related to this as classified and with a "horseshoe logo", authorities later found that these were the flight routes of the Norte del Valle Cartel in both Pacific Ocean and Caribbean sea coasts through Ecuador, Panama, Colombia and Venezuela.[5]
[edit] Capture
Montoya Sánchez was captured on 10 September 2007 by Colombian authorities in a rural area of the municipalilty of Zarzal in Valle del Cauca Department.[4]
In a briefing by the Colombian Ministry of Defense during the presentation of Montoya Sánchez to the public through Caracol TV, the General of the Colombian Army Mario Montoya Uribe detailed the operation dubbed as Operation Simeón which started at 0430 hrs on 10 September 2007 after a military intelligence operation between the municipalities of Zarzal and La Unión in northern Valle del Cauca Department. General Montoya said that Montoya Sánchez had a security ring in a jungle rural area. Montoya Sánchez was accompanied by his mother and some 17 other close relatives.
[edit] Extradition
On May 19, 2008 Colombian Interior and Justice Minister Carlos Holguin announced that 'Don Diego', together with some prominent paramilitary leaders, will be extradited to the United States. The extradition will take place in "the coming few days", says the Minister.[6]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ FBI ADDS COLOMBIAN DRUG CARTEL LEADER TO MOST WANTED FUGITIVE LIST, FBI Headline Archives,05/06/04
- ^ (Spanish) Direccion Nacional de Estupefacientes; Inmuebles incautados a Don Diego
- ^ WHDH-TV - World News - Colombia's police arrest major drug kingpin
- ^ a b (Spanish) El Tiempo: Ministerio de Defensa confirma captura de importante miembro del Cartel del Norte del Valle eltiempo.com Accessed 10 September 2007.
- ^ (Spanish) El Tiempo: Para desactivar radares de la Armada, Diego Montoya Sánchez, alias 'Don Diego', pagó sobornos eltiempo.com Accessed 10 September 2007.
- ^ "More extraditions in the coming days", Colombia Reports, May 19, 2008.
[edit] External links
- The Internet Wayback Machine's archive of Diego León Montoya Sánchez' FBI top ten most wanted poster
- America’s Most Wanted file on Montoya Sánchez
- U.S. Department of State rewards page for Montoya Sánchez
- U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) page on Montoya Sánchez
- BBC reported that relatives of Montoya Sánchez were arrested in Colombia (January 11, 2004)
