Rebel chief is extradited to the U.S.

A captured guerrilla leader, Erminso Cabrera, became the first rebel extradited to the United States under an indictment that accused 50 members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, of supplying 60% of cocaine in the U.S.

Only two of the other suspects are in custody and one is believed to have died in battle.

The U.S. Justice Department offered rewards totaling $75 million for the fugitive FARC leaders when it announced the indictment, which accused Cabrera of supervising the production and distribution of thousands of pounds of cocaine in southern Colombia.

The extradition, announced by police, came as Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez tried to broker a deal to swap scores of rebels imprisoned in Colombia for 45 FARC-held hostages, including three from the U.S.