Colombian police arrested 20 suspected members of the country´s largest neo-paramilitary group “Los Urabeños” on Wednesday.
The alleged neo-paramilitaries were captured in the capital Bogota and the northern city of Santa Marta.
The suspects are accused of being responsible for multiple homicides in the northern Colombian department of Magdalena.
Among those captured was the alleged head of the criminal structure, Juan Carlos Rada Montano, alias “James.”
James headed a group of at least 20 armed members and another 10 from prisons and is facing multiple charges including murder, drug trafficking, terrorism and extortion.
In total the group members face charges of 48 counts of extortion, amounting to $11,000 a week to the organization.
Also among the detainees is a woman identified as “Vere,” reportedly in charge of the group’s narcotics control.
The Urabeños have been involved in a bloody war with a new neo-paramilitary group formed by family members of the extradited paramilitary warlord Hernan Giraldo who used to run paramilitary organization AUC’s operations in teh region around Santa Marta.
