Colombia: Snafu nearly frees jailed ex-paramilitary leader

Colombia’s government is red-faced after a security breach yesterday that could have led to the escape of a major drug baron captured about a week ago. Diego "Don Diego" Montoya and another high-security prisoner were supposed to be transferred to a navy ship were they would be held before extradition to the U.S. Yet the massive security contingent inadvertently transferred ex-paramilitary leader Diego "Don Berna" Murillo for several hours before the mistake was noted and corrected.

In the meantime, senior U.S. and Colombian law enforcement officials have been elated over the capture of “Don Diego” (image) and have deemed it the most significant accomplishment since the death of Pablo Escobar in 1993. However, some analysts of the “war on drugs” do not share such optimism:

"This will cause internal fights over the redistribution of power and money. But will the flow of drugs diminish? Probably not," said Alvaro Camacho, a sociology professor at the University of the Andes in the Colombian capital, Bogota, and an expert on drug trafficking.”

Sources- The Telegraph, Monsters & Critics, Reuters Africa, Los Angeles Times, Wikipedia

Image- The Telegraph