Cocaine Death Squad Chief Seized, Police Say

The chief of the death squads organized by the Medellin cocaine cartel was arrested at a police roadblock in central Colombia, authorities said.

The latest drug-trafficking suspect to be arrested was Jose Manuel Cruz Aguirre, who is wanted in Peru, the Administrative Security Police said in a communique Sunday.

Cruz Aguirre was arrested Friday evening on a highway about 35 miles south of Bogota, the security police said. There were no immediate details on what charges he faces.

Death squads financed by drug traffickers have killed scores of peasants suspected of sympathizing with leftist guerrillas, who have tried to extort money from cattle ranchers in areas where traffickers hold property.

The squads also have killed about 740 members of the country’s biggest leftist political party, the Patriotic Union, presumably because the party has the support of the country’s estimated 10,000 guerrillas.

Cruz Aguirre was part owner of one of Colombia’s professional soccer teams, Deportes Tolima, the security police said. Colombian authorities have contended for years that drug bosses are among the owners of several professional soccer teams in Colombia.

Aguirre was the third purported member of the Medellin cartel arrested in four days. The others were Jose Antonio Ocampo Obando and Camilo Antonio Ruiz Vega.

Ocampo Obando, arrested Friday, is wanted for extradition by the United States.

Ruiz Vega, arrested Thursday, was a top confidant of Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha, the No. 2 man killed by police Dec. 15.