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Colombia’s Defense Minister said Tuesday authorities have arrested a FARC guerrilla held responsible for the 2003 kidnapping of three American military contractors.
According to Defense Minister Rodrigo Rivera, the detainee is Alexander Beltran, alias “Rodrigo Pirinolo,” whose extradition was requested by the United States.
Following the crash of their airplane in the south of Colombia in February 2003, Northrop Grunman employees Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell and Thomas Howes were held captive by FARC guerrillas.
They were held hostage until July 2008 when the Colombian army rescued them, along with French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt and 11 members of the Colombian security forces in Operation Checkmate.
