Colombia's top drugs lord, known as the "boss of bosses" for smuggling hundreds of tonnes of cocaine to the United States, was captured today in the country's biggest narcotics arrest in years.
Diego Montoya, also called "Don Diego," was on the US Federal Bureau of Investigation's "Ten Most Wanted" list and had a $5 million price on his head.
Colombia's DAS intelligence agency said the army caught Montoya in the west of the country but gave no more details. "This is a major blow that shows our commitment to the fight against drug trafficking," vice president Francisco Santos told reporters.
The 230-pound Montoya, known for his heavy build and links to right-wing paramilitary militias, helped found the Norte del Valle cartel based near the city of Cali.
It is the only remaining Colombian gang to control the trade from the cultivation of coca plants, to production of cocaine and its exportation.
The capture comes during a scandal in which high level military officers are accused of taking bribes to protect Montoya, who has led bloody battles against rival gangs for control of smuggling routes leading to the Pacific coast.
Montoya built his empire using paramilitaries to brutally control rural areas used in the production and transportation of cocaine. The paramilitaries have committed some of the worst massacres of this Andean country's four-decade-old war between left-wing guerrillas and the government.