Cali Drug Leader Caught, Making It 6 Now in Jail
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A top leader of the Cali drug cartel was arrested by the police in Cali today. The arrest of the man, Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela, was hailed by Colombian and American officials as one of the final blows against the world’s largest drug-trafficking organization. Mr. Rodriguez, 52, was seized at dawn in a 10th-floor apartment he owns in Cali in southwest Colombia as he tried to conceal himself in a bathroom hiding place. The police said that he did not resist and that he handed over a briefcase. He was immediately flown to police headquarters in Bogota where, in what has become a ritual for arrested drug cartel leaders, he was displayed in front of the news media. Today’s arrest puts six of the seven top leaders of the Cali cartel behind bars. Two months ago, Miguel’s older brother, Gilberto, was arrested. Since then, three other leaders have surrendered and another has been captured. The capture of Mr. Rodriguez was convenient for the Colombian Government, which is faced by a crisis that deepens as the most comprehensive investigations into drug-related corruption in this country’s history uncover the extent to which the political establishment allowed the Cali cartel to flourish. More : query.nytimes.com |