Colombia Extradites Paramilitary Leader to US in Strategic Shift Toward Washington

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella has emerged as a close ally of the Trump administration in South America.

Published On 26 Sep 202626 Sep 2026

The Colombian government has extradited an alleged drug trafficking leader to the United States, marking a significant shift in national security policy toward greater alignment with Washington.

President Abelardo de la Espriella announced Friday the extradition of Geovany Andres Rojas, accused of leading an organization composed of former FARC rebel members.

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

De la Espriella’s left-wing predecessor, Gustavo Petro, had shielded Rojas from extradition to use him as a mediator in government negotiations with armed and criminal groups, favoring dialogue over military confrontation.

The far-right president has discarded that approach, vowing to crack down on groups that splintered from the former FARC rebel movement after the 2016 peace deal. Many of those groups have since fought for control over lucrative drug routes and illicit industries.

Rojas, also known as “the Spider,” was flown to California and placed in federal custody. He allegedly served as commander and spokesperson of Comandos de la Frontera, a group linked to cocaine trafficking in Colombia’s Putumayo province along the Ecuador and Peru border.

He will face drug trafficking and terrorism charges in the US, which has sought to expand military operations across Latin America under the pretext of combating crime and drug trafficking during President Donald Trump’s second term.

Colombia’s new president has aligned himself closely with those efforts, abandoning peace talks and launching military operations against armed groups since taking office in August.

The New York Times reported that de la Espriella, a former defense lawyer, was previously investigated by US authorities over ties to powerful drug traffickers, though never charged, and defended politicians linked to right-wing paramilitaries.

Rights groups have warned that a return to militarized confrontation could lead to rights abuses by government forces and an escalation in violence, yet many Colombians have expressed support for a harder stance against criminal groups whose operations have frequently resulted in violence and mass civilian displacement.

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