Colombian rebel who guarded Betancourt extradited to US

Jul 16, 2009, 19:37 GMT

Bogota - Colombia extradited to the United States Thursday one of two rebels captured last year during the operation to rescue former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and 14 other hostages, including three US citizens.

Gerardo Aguilar, also known as 'Cesar' and a member of the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), was handed over to agents of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). He was set to be tried by a court in Washington on drug trafficking charges.

The Colombian Supreme Court authorized the extradition in February, but noted that 'Cesar' can only be tried in the United States for drug trafficking. Kidnapping - a crime for which extradition had also been requested - happened on Colombian soil, and Aguilar should therefore face trial for that charge in Colombia, the court said.

Aguilar was arrested on July 2, 2008 in an undercover operation by the Colombian Army. The effort rescued Betancourt - the most high- profile hostage held by FARC - and three US defence contractors, as well as 11 Colombian military and police officers.

Along with 'Cesar,' the authorities arrested Alexander Farfan, alias 'Gafas.' However, a request for his extradition to be tried in the United States for kidnapping was denied by the Supreme Court.

Undercover military agents made Aguilar and Farfan, who were in charge of guarding the hostages, believe they were part of a humanitarian commission to take the hostages to a different rebel camp. When the helicopter took off with the group, the two rebels were subdued by the soldiers.

The Colombian Supreme Court ruled that Aguilar was in charge 'of supervising the manufacture and distribution of cocaine, over 1,000 kilogrammes that was imported into the United States.'

In recent years, Bogota has extradited FARC leaders Ricardo Palmera, alias 'Simon Trinidad,' and Nayibe Rojas, alias 'Sonia,' to be tried for drug trafficking in the United States.