Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BOGOTA6278
2007-08-27 19:23:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bogota
Cable title:
EXTRADITION PROCESS ON TRACK FOR FORMER PARAS
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C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 006278
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/28/2010
TAGS: MARR PRGOV PREL PTER CO
SUBJECT: EXTRADITION PROCESS ON TRACK FOR FORMER PARAS
Classified By: Political Counselor John S. Creamer. Reason: 1.4(b,d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 006278
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/28/2010
TAGS: MARR PRGOV PREL PTER CO
SUBJECT: EXTRADITION PROCESS ON TRACK FOR FORMER PARAS
Classified By: Political Counselor John S. Creamer. Reason: 1.4(b,d)
1. (C) Minister of Interior and Justice Carlos Holguin
announced August 24 the transfer of Carlos Mario Jimenez
(alias "Macaco") from Itagui prison in Medellin to the
maximum security Combita prison near Bogota for conducting
drug trafficking activities from prison. The Fiscalia has
approved his provisional arrest warrant for extradition,
which will be served August 27. He would be the first
paramilitary to lose eligibility under the Justice and Peace
Law (JPL).
2. (C) Holguin also announced the transfer of Diego
Fernando Murillo Bejarano (aka "Don Berna") to Combita as a
"security precaution." Outgoing Department of Administrative
Security (GOC intelligence agency) director Andres Penate
told us August 24 Don Berna will likely be extradited to the
U.S. within the next two weeks due to his continuing
involvement in criminal activity. President Uribe
subordinated our July 2004 extradition request for Berna on
drug and money laundering charges in September 2005 because
of Berna's key role in the paramilitary peace process. The
U.S. has extradited 87 individuals from Colombia this year,
bringing the total to 583.
3. (C) Penate said the GOC needed to satisfy specific
Colombian legal requirements before extraditing Berna.
Complying with these steps would strengthen Uribe's political
and legal position. Penate said the GOC must provide five
days notice to citizens subject to an extradition order
before it can extradite them. It will take the GOC several
days to prepare the paperwork; notification to Berna is
unlikely to occur before August 31. He said the GOC also
would open a criminal case against Berna at the Fiscalia to
bolster its claim Berna had continued to engage in criminal
activity. Berna would be the first paramilitary leader whose
extradition request was subordinated by Uribe to be
extradited.
4. (C) Penate said Uribe is committed to extraditing Don
Berna as soon as these legal steps are completed. The only
risk is that Berna's lawyers will exploit the five days to
find a friendly judge who would issue an order blocking
extradition. Penate said the DAS had passed intelligence
reports implicating Don Berna in several murders in Medellin
and Cartagena, but lacked legal proof. Uribe's decision to
move against Berna was provoked by an anonymous letter that
was passed to him by a trusted source. The letter was
addressed to Castano's wife and claimed Berna and Macaco were
involved in Vicente Castano's murder earlier this year. It
also warned Castano's wife to leave the country. DAS records
showed she left Colombia three weeks ago.
Nichols
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/28/2010
TAGS: MARR PRGOV PREL PTER CO
SUBJECT: EXTRADITION PROCESS ON TRACK FOR FORMER PARAS
Classified By: Political Counselor John S. Creamer. Reason: 1.4(b,d)
1. (C) Minister of Interior and Justice Carlos Holguin
announced August 24 the transfer of Carlos Mario Jimenez
(alias "Macaco") from Itagui prison in Medellin to the
maximum security Combita prison near Bogota for conducting
drug trafficking activities from prison. The Fiscalia has
approved his provisional arrest warrant for extradition,
which will be served August 27. He would be the first
paramilitary to lose eligibility under the Justice and Peace
Law (JPL).
2. (C) Holguin also announced the transfer of Diego
Fernando Murillo Bejarano (aka "Don Berna") to Combita as a
"security precaution." Outgoing Department of Administrative
Security (GOC intelligence agency) director Andres Penate
told us August 24 Don Berna will likely be extradited to the
U.S. within the next two weeks due to his continuing
involvement in criminal activity. President Uribe
subordinated our July 2004 extradition request for Berna on
drug and money laundering charges in September 2005 because
of Berna's key role in the paramilitary peace process. The
U.S. has extradited 87 individuals from Colombia this year,
bringing the total to 583.
3. (C) Penate said the GOC needed to satisfy specific
Colombian legal requirements before extraditing Berna.
Complying with these steps would strengthen Uribe's political
and legal position. Penate said the GOC must provide five
days notice to citizens subject to an extradition order
before it can extradite them. It will take the GOC several
days to prepare the paperwork; notification to Berna is
unlikely to occur before August 31. He said the GOC also
would open a criminal case against Berna at the Fiscalia to
bolster its claim Berna had continued to engage in criminal
activity. Berna would be the first paramilitary leader whose
extradition request was subordinated by Uribe to be
extradited.
4. (C) Penate said Uribe is committed to extraditing Don
Berna as soon as these legal steps are completed. The only
risk is that Berna's lawyers will exploit the five days to
find a friendly judge who would issue an order blocking
extradition. Penate said the DAS had passed intelligence
reports implicating Don Berna in several murders in Medellin
and Cartagena, but lacked legal proof. Uribe's decision to
move against Berna was provoked by an anonymous letter that
was passed to him by a trusted source. The letter was
addressed to Castano's wife and claimed Berna and Macaco were
involved in Vicente Castano's murder earlier this year. It
also warned Castano's wife to leave the country. DAS records
showed she left Colombia three weeks ago.
Nichols