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| Colombian drugs lord found dead | Colombian drugs lord found dead |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| Colombia's most-wanted drugs baron has been found dead in a holiday cabin in the Venezuelan city of Merida. | Colombia's most-wanted drugs baron has been found dead in a holiday cabin in the Venezuelan city of Merida. |
| Officials confirmed the body is that of Wilber Varela, alias "Soap", a man with a long and bloody history as leader of the Norte del Valle drug cartel. | Officials confirmed the body is that of Wilber Varela, alias "Soap", a man with a long and bloody history as leader of the Norte del Valle drug cartel. |
| While Varela had a $5m (£2.5m) bounty from the US on his head, the evidence suggests he was killed by his own men. | |
| His cocaine smuggling cartel was the successor to the infamous Medellin cartel of Pablo Escobar. | His cocaine smuggling cartel was the successor to the infamous Medellin cartel of Pablo Escobar. |
| It is believed that Varela's cartel moved thousands of tonnes of cocaine into the US and Europe. | It is believed that Varela's cartel moved thousands of tonnes of cocaine into the US and Europe. |
| New recruits | New recruits |
| US and Colombian intelligence agencies said that Varela had been hiding in Venezuela for at least a year, running his operations out of their reach. | US and Colombian intelligence agencies said that Varela had been hiding in Venezuela for at least a year, running his operations out of their reach. |
| Venezuela is now the principle transit nation for Colombian cocaine and does not co-operate with international anti-drugs efforts. | Venezuela is now the principle transit nation for Colombian cocaine and does not co-operate with international anti-drugs efforts. |
| Colombian intelligence sources said that communications intercepts suggested that Varela was killed by some of his own men, a not unexpected end for a man who started in the drug business as an a assassin. | Colombian intelligence sources said that communications intercepts suggested that Varela was killed by some of his own men, a not unexpected end for a man who started in the drug business as an a assassin. |
| Last year, the other three leaders of the Norte del Valle cartel were captured, in effect bringing an end to the organisation. | Last year, the other three leaders of the Norte del Valle cartel were captured, in effect bringing an end to the organisation. |
| However, a new generation of traffickers is already stepping up to take their place. | However, a new generation of traffickers is already stepping up to take their place. |
| The security forces have the aliases of two men believed to be picking up the pieces within the cartel and keeping the business moving. | The security forces have the aliases of two men believed to be picking up the pieces within the cartel and keeping the business moving. |
| They are known only as '06' and 'Red Shirt' and the hunt is on for them and their real identities as a new chapter in the war on drugs begins. | They are known only as '06' and 'Red Shirt' and the hunt is on for them and their real identities as a new chapter in the war on drugs begins. |