WORLD NEWS

Colombian police say rebel captured in Venezuela

Mar 22, 2012, 10:47 PM

Associated Press

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) – A member of Colombia’s largest rebel group has been captured in neighboring Venezuela and is wanted for his role in the kidnapping and killing of three Americans in 1999, Colombian police said Thursday.

William Alberto Asprilla, also known as “Marquetaliano,” was detained Wednesday while on the road between Caracas and the nearby port of La Guaira, said Gen. Carlos Mena, director of Colombia’s judicial police.

Colombian police described the 62-year-old as a midlevel leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, and also one of the group’s oldest members.

Colombian authorities believe Asprilla was in Venezuela the past six months doing “support work” for the rebels, Mena said, without elaborating.

He said Venezuelan authorities had cooperated in detaining Asprilla. It was unclear how he had been located.

Venezuelan officials had no immediate reaction to the announcement by Colombian authorities. Justice Ministry officials in Caracas did not respond to a call seeking comment.

Colombia had issued an international order for Asprilla’s arrest through Interpol. He is wanted on charges including rebellion, kidnapping and conspiracy, among others, Mena said.

He said Asprilla was very close to Jorge “Mono Jojoy” Briceno, the FARC’s military chief, who was killed in a 2010 army attack.

Mena said the two men, along with Briceno’s brother German Briceno, planned the kidnapping and subsequent killings of three American pro-Indian activists in 1999.

The bodies of Terence Freitas, 24, of Los Angeles; Ingrid Washinawatok, 41, of New York; and Lahe’ena’e Gay, 39, of Pahoa, Hawaii, were found in a Venezuelan pasture just across the Colombian border on March 5, 1999, one week after they were kidnapped. The three had been in Colombia to help set up a school system for the U’wa Indian tribe.

FARC leaders said afterward that the guerrillas who kidnapped and killed the trio thought they were spies. The rebel group denied that senior FARC commanders had any role in ordering the Americans abducted and killed.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

World News

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, chairs the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Sunday, ...

Associated Press

Israeli Cabinet approves cease-fire with Hamas; deal includes release of 50 hostages

Israel’s Cabinet on Wednesday approved a cease-fire deal with the Hamas militant group that would bring a temporary halt to a devastating war.

7 days ago

Palestinians leave their homes following Israeli bombardment on Gaza City, Monday, Oct. 30, 2023. (...

Associated Press

Israeli airstrikes crush apartments in Gaza refugee camp, as ground troops battle Hamas militants

A flurry of Israeli airstrikes Tuesday on a refugee camp near Gaza City leveled apartment buildings, leaving craters where they once stood.

28 days ago

Moroccan boys, Rayan and Ali walk amidst the rubble of their home which was damaged by the earthqua...

Associated Press

Powerful quake in Morocco kills more than 2,000 people and damages historic buildings in Marrakech

A powerful earthquake has struck Morocco, toppling buildings in villages and cities not built to withstand such force.

3 months ago

State Farm Stadium Gold Cup soccer arrests 2023...

Serena O'Sullivan

Police arrest five people after State Farm Stadium brawl on Thursday

Two people were arrested for a State Farm Stadium brawl after Thursday's soccer matches between Qatar and Honduras plus Mexico and Haiti.

5 months ago

Members of the Wagner Group military company load their tank onto a truck on a street. (AP Photo)...

Associated Press

Russia says Wagner Group’s leader will move to Belarus after his rebellious march challenged Putin

Russian leaders say the Wagner Group leader who staged a short-lived rebellion will move to Belarus and not face prosecution.

5 months ago

Associated Press

How (and when) to watch King Charles’ coronation in the US

There are plenty of options to watch the regalia-heavy event that serves as a formal confirmation of King Charles' dual role as head of state and titular leader of the Church of England.

7 months ago

Sponsored Articles

(KTAR News Graphic)...

KTAR launches online holiday auction benefitting Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley

KTAR is teaming up with The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley for a holiday auction benefitting thousands of Valley kids.

Follow @KTAR923...

The 2023 Diamondbacks are a good example to count on the underdog

The Arizona Diamondbacks made the World Series as a surprise. That they made the playoffs at all, got past the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Wild Card round, swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS and won two road games in Philadelphia to close out a full seven-game NLCS went against every expectation. Now, […]

...

Midwestern University

Midwestern University: innovating Arizona health care education

Midwestern University’s Glendale Campus near Loop 101 and 59th Avenue is an established leader in health care education and one of Arizona’s largest and most valuable health care resources.

Colombian police say rebel captured in Venezuela