Venezuela on Sunday claimed it arrested the leader of Colombian neo-paramilitary group “Aguilas Negras” in the northwestern city of Maracaibo.
According to Interior Minister Tarek El Aissami, the arrested suspect is Victor Gonzalez Sierra, leader of the feared Aguilas Negras and wanted in Colombia for “various homicides.”
“This is a heavy blow to criminal drug trafficking organizations and this group trying to use our territory to escape justice of other governments,” Venezuelan state radio quoted the minister as saying.
The 32-year old Gonzalez Sierra was arrested Maracaibo, Venezuela’s second largest city and located near the Colombian border.
According to El Aissami, the alleged neo-paramilitary head will be extradited to Colombia in the next few days.
The Aguilas Negras are one the most feared names among neo-paramilitary groups that emerged after the demobilization of paramilitary organization AUC. According to crime analysis website Insight Crime, there is no central command for the separately operating groups calling themselves Aguilas Negras.
