One of Guatemala’s most wanted drug fugitives was captured in Mexico and handed over to his country to face likely extradition to the United States, authorities said Wednesday.
Aler Baldomero Samayoa is accused of leading a group called Los Huistas, which allegedly trafficked US-bound cocaine from South America to Mexican cartels, Guatemalan Interior Minister Francisco Jimenez said.
His arrest comes as Mexico and its neighbors come under mounting pressure from US President Donald Trump’s administration to curb illegal drug flows.
The suspect, alias “Chicharra” (Cicada), was captured in Mexican territory as a result of joint efforts between Guatemala, the United States and Mexico, Jimenez said.
He was transferred to a jail in the Guatemala City courthouse pending extradition proceedings, according to the public prosecutor’s office.
In a social media post, the US embassy in Guatemala welcomed Samayoa’s arrest as a “great advance in the fight against drug trafficking” and said procedures were under way to ensure his “swift extradition to the United States.”
Samayoa told reporters from his cell that he would accept the charges against him.
“That would be the best way to expedite the process,” added the 58-year-old, who said that he was captured in Mexico’s southern state of Chiapas, bordering Guatemala.
