Bogota, Colombia (CNN)Colombia's most-wanted drug lord has been captured by authorities in what has been heralded as the biggest blow to the country's narcotics traffickers in decades.

Colombia's President Iván Duque Márquez confirmed the capture of Dairo Antonio Usuga, known as "Otoniel," in a televised national address Saturday.

"This coup is only comparable to the fall of Pablo Escobar in the 90s," Duque said, referring to the Colombian drug lord who died in 1993 after building a multibillion-dollar empire dealing cocaine.

"Otoniel was the most feared drug trafficker in the world, a murderer of policemen, soldiers, social leaders, and a recruiter of minors," he said.

Otoniel, 50, was seized by Colombian authorities during an operation in a rural area of Colombia's Uraba region, located in Antioquia province, Reuters reported. One police officer died during the operation, according to the report.

Otoniel was the leader of the 'Clan del Golfo' drug cartel, which the US State Department describes as "heavily armed and extremely violent." He became the leader following stints as a left-wing guerrilla and a paramilitary, according to Reuters.

The cartel is comprised of former members of terrorist organizations, according to the State Department, and uses violence and intimidation to control narcotics trafficking routes, cocaine processing laboratories, speedboat departure points and clandestine landing strips.

Otoniel was indicted by the Southern District of New York in 2009. The State Department offered up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction, while Colombia offered a reward of up to 3 billion Colombian pesos (about $800,000) for information on his whereabouts, Reuters reported.

Duque ended his televised speech Saturday with a message for other drug traffickers, saying: "To all criminals and narco traffickers: either you surrender, or we will come and get you."

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/10/24/americas/colombia-drug-lord-otoniel-intl-hnk/index.html

Dairo báwo? �

Yoruba man in Columbia

Yoruba people eeehhh

It wont make any difference, a new Don will take his place, and business will continue as normal. As long as there is demand for cocaine in the USA, someone will supply it. Na economics 101

History has shown such capture ignites a turf war among various cartels who compete to take over the vacuum created by such arrest ..the only way to fight the drug scourge is to kill demand ..as long as Americans and Europeans keep creating the the huge demand for drugs nothing can change ...Imagine the son of current US president Hunter Biden is known to spend over 2 million dollars of cocaine annually

bjdon:
It wont make any difference, a new Don will take his place, and business will continue as normal. As long as there is demand for cocaine in the USA, someone will supply it. Na economics 101

Exactly my point above

Unfortunately, another will rise to the occasion. The cartel is deeply rooted into the country. Poverty and unemployment play a vital role in their existence.

HOLLY GRAM HOW I WISH I CAN B A DRUG LORD OR MAYBE HVE MY OWN KUSH PLANT. DAT MEANS I WILL NOT HVE TO BUY KUSH AGAIN. WTF MAN

Colombian security has caught a Big Fish.

There are still drug lords in Colombia who are being protected by the Colombian government.