Colombia's most-wanted drug lord Otoniel captured

Colombia's most-wanted drug trafficker and the leader of the country's largest criminal gang has been captured.

Dairo Antonio Úsuga, better known as Otoniel, was seized after a joint operation by the army, air force and police.

The government had offered a US $800,000 reward for information about his whereabouts, while the US placed a $5 million bounty on his head.

President Iván Duque hailed Otoniel's capture in a televised video message.

Otoniel was captured in his rural hideout in Antioquia province in north-western Colombia, close to the border with Panama.

The operation involved 500 soldiers supported by 22 helicopters. One police officer was killed.

Otoniel had used a network of rural safe houses to move around and evade the authorities, and did not use a phone, instead relying on couriers for communication.

[Source: BBC]