Colombia's President Orders Extradition of Guerrilla Leaders to U.S.

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella has ordered the extradition of two high-profile guerrilla leaders to the United States. Willinton Henao, known as "Mocho Olmedo," and Geovany Andrés Rojas, alias "Araña," were key negotiators during the previous leftist government's peace talks. Both men belong to dissident factions of the former FARC guerrilla group and were apprehended in 2025.

Their extradition had been pending due to their involvement in peace negotiations with the administration of former President Gustavo Petro. However, President de la Espriella, who has suspended these talks, stated, "I have ordered the effective handover and extradition to the United States." The president also indicated that three other individuals would be extradited.

De la Espriella, an admirer of Donald Trump, is working closely with the U.S. to combat powerful illegal groups funded by drug trafficking. The head of the U.S. Southern Command arrived in Colombia this week to meet with military leaders, following authorization for joint bombings against drug cartels.

Henao was part of the 33rd Front, a FARC dissident group operating near the Venezuelan border, which was involved in a conflict displacing thousands in 2025. Rojas led the "Comandos de Frontera," a violent organization engaged in drug trafficking and other crimes near Ecuador. Both men had turned their backs on the 2016 peace agreement that disarmed the FARC. In the U.S., they will face charges including drug trafficking, illegal arms possession, and narcoterrorism.