WORLD BRIEFING / SPAIN
A convicted Colombian drug baron with links to two major smuggling cartels was shot dead in a Madrid hospital where he was being treated for a lung disease, officials said.
Leonidas Vargas was arrested in Madrid in July 2006 and convicted of possessing more than 1,000 pounds of cocaine, a police spokesman said.
The Colombian Embassy said he had worked with drug lords linked to the Medellin and Cali cartels.
Vargas had been sentenced to 19 years in prison and was transferred to the Doce de Octubre hospital for treatment on Jan. 2.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
