Colombia extradites warlord to U.S. as its security strategy aligns with Washington

BOGOTA, Colombia — A Colombian warlord, whose extradition to the United States had been delayed for several months while he was designated a peace negotiator by the country’s previous government, was flown to California and placed in custody of federal agents.

Geovany Andres Rojas faces drug trafficking and terrorism charges in the United States. For years, he acted as a spokesman and leader of Comandos de la Frontera, a rebel group known for trafficking cocaine in Putumayo, a Colombian province that borders Ecuador and Peru.

Rojas, who is also known as “the spider,” had been protected from extradition by former Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who had asked him to participate in peace talks with the Colombian government.

But a new government, led by conservative President Abelardo de la Espriella, lifted the ban on Rojas’s extradition, signaling a shift in the nation’s security strategy.

“You don’t build peace by protecting narco-terrorists like this bandit,” de la Espriella said Friday, after he personally supervised Rojas’ transfer to the U.S. “I ask U.S. authorities … that he cannot negotiate deals that will leave his crimes unpunished.”

Rojas was arrested in Bogota in February 2025, and Colombia’s Supreme Court approved his extradition to the…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business