On Saturday, officials from Venezuela’s National Anti-Drug Office (ONA) arrested the Colombian drug kingpin Nelson Orlando Buitriago Parada, alias “Caballo,” who is implicated along with his father and brother in “multiple homicides and a network of important narco-paramilitarism,” said the Venezuelan Minister of Interior and Justice, Tareck El Aissami.
“On Saturday night we arrested, in Anzoátegui state (in western Venezuela), specifically in the town of El Tigre, another Colombian drug trafficker requested by Interpol Bogotá,” El Aissami explained.
His brother, paramilitary kingpin Hector German Buitriago Parada, alias “Martin Llanos,” former commander of the Colombian paramilitary group Rural Self-Defense Forces of Casanare (ACC), was also arrested as part of a joint operation between Colombian and Venezuelan authorities.
Last January 24, during an event to celebrate the sixth anniversary of the ONA, El Aissami announced that Venezuelan police and military authorities have arrested 76 drug traffickers to date, many of whom have been delivered to judicial authorities of the requesting countries, including Colombia, the U.S., France, Italy, and the Netherlands.
“Caballo” becomes the 77th kingpin arrested by Venezuelan authorities in the last six years. In 2011, Venezuelan arrested 21 individuals linked to trafficking, according to an ONA report.
Colombian President Thanks Venezuela
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos thanked the Venezuelan government for having arrested the two Colombian paramilitary leaders, Nelson Orlando and Héctor Germán Buitriago Parada.
“I want to congratulate the police; it is a very important blow. I also want to thank the Venezuelan authorities for this close collaboration that has had the desired results, because we had been looking for this individual [alias Martin Llanos] for a long time, and it is a very important result for the peace of all Colombians,” Santos said.
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