Колумбиялық есірткі баронының құлауы

Colombian drug trafficker

Diego León Montoya Sánchez (born January 11, 1958/1961), also known as Don Diego, is a Colombian former crime boss and leader of the Norte del Valle drug cartel. On October 25, 2002, Montoya was listed as a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker on the United States Department of Treasury's Specially Designated National List (also known as La Lista Clinton). On May 6, 2004, he became the 478th fugitive listed by the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. He was also wanted in Colombia, where authorities started numerous operations to capture him or his interests. The U. S. Department of State's Narcotics Rewards Program offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading directly to Montoya's arrest or conviction, the highest amount offered at the time for a non terrorist fugitive, effectively making the priority of his capture second only to that of Osama bin Laden. In January 2007, Montoya's brother and co leader of the cartel, Eugenio, was captured in Colombia. Colombian authorities announced on September 10 that they had arrested Montoya himself in the west of the country after a long manhunt. On December 12, 2008, Montoya was extradited to Miami on a D. E. A. helicopter, marking the final demise of the Norte del Valle Cartel.

Montoya was sought in connection with the manufacture and distribution of multiple tons of cocaine, knowing or intending that it would be imported into the United States. Montoya is reputedly one of the principal leaders of the Colombian North Valley cartel. The North Valley cartel is believed to be the most powerful and violent drug trafficking organization in Colombia. The cartel reportedly relies heavily on illegal armed groups for protection, taking help from right wing paramilitaries as well as leftist rebels. Montoya has used the known aliases Diego Montoya, Diego Sanchez Montoya, "Don Diego", "El Señor de la Guerra" (the warlord), "El Ciclista" (the cyclist). Montoya was thought to be under the protection of the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia, a paramilitary group run by Carlos and Vincente Castaño.

On August 26, 2007, the Colombian media reported that members of the Norte del Valle Cartel had been bribing military and police units to deactivate radars and allow the cartel to ship illegal drugs from Colombia. The newspaper El Tiempo reported that the Colombian Navy had been the most infiltrated through bribes ordered by Montoya and his men. The newspaper also revealed the possible involvement of an Admiral of the Colombian Navy named Gabriel Arango who used his influence to support drug cartels. Arango marked documents related to this as classified and with a "horseshoe logo"; authorities later found that these were the flight routes of the Norte del Valle Cartel along both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts through Ecuador, Panama, Colombia and Venezuela.

Montoya was captured on September 10, 2007, by Colombian authorities in a rural area of the municipality of Zarzal in Valle del Cauca Department after two hours of fighting with security ring.

On May 19, 2008, Colombian Interior and Justice ex Minister Carlos Holguin announced that 'Don Diego', together with some prominent paramilitary leaders, would be extradited to the United States. On December 12, 2008, Montoya was indeed extradited to Miami on a D. E. A. helicopter, marking the final demise of the Norte del Valle Cartel.

In the television series El Cartel, Montoya is portrayed by the comic Colombian actor Santiago Moure as the character of Mario Lopera 'Don Mario'.