US Offers $5 Million Reward for Arrest of Colombia Rebel Lea
Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2020 2:34 amVOA - World News
In this Aug. 15, 2012 file photo, police patrol a coca field as hired farmers uproot coca shrubs as part of a manual eradication campaign of illegal crops in San Miguel on Colombia's southern border with Ecuador.
In this Aug. 15, 2012 file photo, police patrol a coca field as hired farmers uproot coca shrubs as part of a manual eradication campaign of illegal crops in San Miguel on Colombia's southern border with Ecuador.
The United States is offering a reward up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest of a leader of the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebel group in Colombia.
The U.S. accuses Wilver Villegas Palomino of participating in an ongoing scheme to distribute Colombian cocaine in the United States to finance the rebel group.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently described Palomino on twitter as an "indicted narcoterrorist" following a visit to Colombia.
The ELN, founded more than 50 years ago to fight against unequal distribution of wealth in Colombia, has gained international notoriety for terrorist activities, including murders.