Colombian paramilitary leader killed in raid (Roundup)

Dec 29, 2010, 18:46 GMT

Bogota - Colombian police killed the drug lord and paramilitary leader Pedro Oliverio Guerrero, known as 'Cuchillo,' authorities confirmed Wednesday.

Cuchillo was the one of the three most wanted criminals in the country and the leader of a 1,000-strong paramilitary group.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said that Cuchillo was killed on Christmas Day in Mapiripan, in the central Colombian province of Meta. His camp in a rural area was struck by police from the air and on land as Cuchillo was about to celebrate Christmas, Santos said.

'The murderer of murderers has fallen. This bandit had a long record of crime in all its variants. There were more than 15 arrest warrants against him, he is blamed for more than 3,000 deaths,' Santos told a press conference.

One of Cuchillo's bodyguards was killed in the raid and seven others, including the drug lord's lieutenant Harold Rojas, were arrested.

'(Cuchillo) managed to get away, but the operation had been planned so that if he managed to escape there would be a circle around him, which was very effective. We looked with great care and we finally found this man Tuesday afternoon,' Santos said.

Two police officers died in the operation.

Cuchillo's remains were taken to Bogota for forensic examination, which confirmed his identity.

Santos added that a reward would be paid to the people who tipped off police about Cuchillo. Colombian authorities had promised a reward of 2.6 million dollars for information leading to the drug lord's arrest.

Colombia's decades-long internal conflict is inextricably entwined with the illicit trade in cocaine and other drugs.

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