Lord of War is captured in his underpants

[damageinc.]

From Times OnlineSeptember 11, 2007

Lord of War is captured in his underpants
(Daniel Munoz/Reuters)
Diego Montoya was paraded in handcuffs before journalists in Bogota

Jenny Booth
He was nicknamed the Lord of War, a ruthless Colombian cocaine baron blamed for the death of 1,500 people. His photo appeared alongside Osama bin Laden in the FBI Top 10 Most Wanted.

But yesterday morning Diego Montoya was in plastic handcuffs, after soldiers found him cowering behind a bush dressed only in his T-shirt and underpants.

"I lost," was said to be the laconic comment of one of the world's most wanted drug traffickers.

Montoya was captured by an elite army unit during a pre-dawn raid on a farm where his mother and uncle were staying, in Valle del Cauca province.

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He offered to bribe troops $5 million (£2.5 million) - the same amount as the US bounty on his head - to let him go, said Juan Manuel Santos, the Colombian defence minister.

Nobody took him up on it. He faces extradition to the United States within two months to stand trial on charges of leading the Norte del Valle cartel, considered Colombia’s most dangerous drug trafficking organisation, and of shipping hundreds of tons of cocaine to the United States and Europe.

Officials say that he did not put up a fight. Hours after his capture, however, soldiers came under fire from members of his gang.

By then Montoya was already aboard an air force plane back to the Colombian capital Bogota along with Mr Santos.

“Drug traffickers take note: this is the future that awaits you,” Mr Santos told a news conference, before Montoya limped out to be paraded before waiting journalists by five commandos.

With his hair shorn and a close-cropped beard, flitting between grimaces and smiles, Montoya refused to answer any questions before he was taken away to the prosecutor’s office for interrogation.

Analysts say that in the cutthroat world of drug-trafficking Montoya stood out because of his combination of ruthless violence and intelligence.

“He had ability, he rose through the ranks and became one of the last men standing after the rest fell,” said Hank Twehues, an FBI special agent based in Miami who has been following the Norte del Valle cartel.

I find it interesting that he would be called Lord of war, The true story about the man called Lord of war was a international gun runner (read the book or see the movie lord of war) In the end it was revealed that he was the straw man for top gubberment "illegal" weapons sales. He was just a cover for the ones that were really behind it all. Hmmmmmmm could it be the same for this guy? NAY!!

[NonEntity]

The more I study the government, the more I grow to respect drug lords.  Except for when they act like the government thugs who persecute them (which is probably most of the time, so my "respect" is totally misplaced...)

- NonE

[heidi]

Zowie.  1500 people, eh?  Hardly holds a machete to the likes of the big bosses, eh? 

"Peon of the CIA" is far more apt than "Lord of War."

[eye2i2hear]

heidi Wrote:
"Peon of the CIA" is far more apt than "Lord of War."

Wouldn't, if there were such a book in print, "CIA" and "War" be synonyms?  (or if you know the 6-6-6 = 9-1-1 code, the letters "CIA" = "WAR"...)  8)