Colombia extradites ELN guerrillas to US for first time

By Laura Gamba

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - Colombia on Thursday extradited two members of the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebel group who are accused by courts in the US states of Texas and Florida of drug trafficking related crimes, the Ministry of Justice said in a press release.

Yamit Picon-Rodriguez, aka Choncha, and Henry Trigos-Celon, aka Moncho, were handed over to US authorities at an air base in the Colombian capital Bogota.

"These two people must answer for their crimes before the US justice system after the Supreme Court of Justice gave a favorable opinion for their extradition last May," the statement said.

Picon-Rodriguez is accused of being the chief financial officer of the ELN’s northeastern front and doing business with the Mexican Sinaloa Cartel, while Trigos-Celon is accused of storing and distributing drugs in Norte de Santander province along the border with Venezuela.

It marks the first time in Colombia’s history that ELN members have been extradited to the US for crimes related to drug trafficking.

After the signing of a peace deal between the previous government and the left-wing Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in November 2016, the ELN continued to operate with approximately 2,500 active fighters around the country.

A recognized terrorist group by the US and the European Union, the ELN operates as one of the largest drug trafficking organizations in the world.

The administration of President Ivan Duque suspended the peace talks that former President Juan Manuel Santos held with the ELN following a car bomb attack on a police academy in 2019 that killed 22. Duque has refused to begin peace negotiations until the group ends kidnappings and attacks.

Two other ELN rebel fighters are due to be extradited in the coming days.