COLOMBIA · EXTRADITION
Key Facts
- —The country Colombia, a leading cocaine producer and a long-time US security partner, is led by President Abelardo De la Espriella, who took office in August 2026.
- —Why it matters A rebel commander wanted by a federal court in Florida is now in US hands, which shows how far Bogotá will go in sending armed-group leaders north.
- —Why now He left La Picota prison in Bogotá and was handed to US authorities, and the transfer became public on Friday 23 October 2026.
- —What happened Willinton Henao Gutiérrez, alias Mocho Olmedo, a senior commander of the FARC dissident Front 33, was extradited to face drug-trafficking and money-laundering charges.
- —The numbers The US indictment dates from 15 February 2023 and lists four counts, and Colombia’s Supreme Court approved the transfer on 28 May 2025.
- —What it means for you US readers see Colombia sending a cocaine-linked rebel commander to a US court, while travellers should still check the advisory for the Catatumbo border region.
- —Still open When he first appears in a US court, how he pleads, and what happens to the homicide and recruitment charges filed against him in Colombia.
- —Power Index Colombia ranks 6th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 51.9 points (October 2026 edition).
Colombia extradites Mocho Olmedo, a commander of a FARC dissident group, to face cocaine-trafficking charges in a Florida federal court. Colombian outlets reported on Friday 23 October 2026 that Willinton Henao Gutiérrez had left La Picota prison in Bogotá and been handed to US authorities.
For US readers the case matters because a federal court in southern Florida accuses him of moving cocaine meant for the United States and of laundering money. It also shows how far President Abelardo De la Espriella will go in sending armed-group leaders north.
El Colombiano and Infobae describe Henao as the second in command of Front 33, a dissident group in the Catatumbo region on the Venezuelan border, while the Supreme Court called him its third in command in 2025. We covered the August order to send him north in Colombia Orders Five Petro-Era Negotiators Extradited to the US.
Why Colombia Extradites Mocho Olmedo Now
President De la Espriella announced on Wednesday 26 August 2026 that he had signed resolutions to reactivate the extraditions of five armed-group leaders. All five had joined peace talks under his predecessor Gustavo Petro, and he said a review found no verifiable contribution to peace from any of them, El Heraldo reported.
The Supreme Court’s criminal chamber had approved the US request on 28 May 2025, and Petro’s government suspended the handover a month later by Resolution 186, Infobae reported. The suspension depended on Henao making verifiable contributions to the peace talks.
Infobae also reported that the De la Espriella government withdrew his peace-manager status before the transfer. The president said on 14 October that he had signed 131 extradition processes in his first 67 days, Semana reported.
Alias Araña, another of the five, was flown to California on Friday 25 September and pleaded not guilty on Monday 28 September, Noticias RCN reported. Henao’s handover came four weeks later.
What the Florida Indictment Alleges
El Tiempo, reading the Supreme Court file, says the case is an indictment in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida dated 15 February 2023. The US embassy in Bogotá formalised the extradition request on 21 July 2023, the newspaper added.
The indictment lists four counts: conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, conspiracy to import it, conspiracy to launder money and attempted money laundering. The first two concern 5 kilograms or more of a cocaine mixture between 1 September 2021 and 11 August 2022, allegedly bound for the United States.
The laundering counts allege that funds were moved out of the United States, including an attempt on 28 July 2022 in Broward County. Infobae added that one reference in the file mentions a suitcase with US$740,000 tied to a deal for 115 kilograms of cocaine.
These are allegations in an indictment, and Henao has not been convicted of any offence in the United States. The Supreme Court wrote in 2025 that he is a dissident of the peace process who never joined the post-2016 transitional justice system.
Charges Colombian Prosecutors Filed at Home
By 8 September 2026 Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office had charged Henao with conspiracy, homicide of a protected person, forced displacement and unlawful recruitment, Publimetro reported. He did not accept the charges at the hearing, which he attended by video link.
Prosecutors say he was one of the main organisers of the armed confrontation with the ELN in the Catatumbo that began on 16 January 2025. The ELN is the National Liberation Army, a guerrilla group that has fought Front 33 for control of the Catatumbo.
Among the allegations is the killing of a community leader on 17 January 2025 in the village of Guachimán, in Tibú. Prosecutors also attribute the forced displacement of 84 people from Tibú and El Tarra between 16 and 20 January 2025, and the recruitment of 31 minors, Publimetro and El Espectador reported.
These remain allegations, and no court has convicted him of the homicide, displacement or recruitment charges. Prosecutors filed them while he was held in La Picota.
From Peace Spokesman to Prisoner
Henao gave himself up in February 2025, and the Petro government then arranged a place of detention in Bogotá so he could keep taking part in the talks, Noticias RCN reported. Semana reported that his capture was announced on 12 February 2025.
Caracol News later revealed that the national intelligence directorate had hidden him for 55 days in the Chapinero district of Bogotá, Semana recounted in May 2025. The Supreme Court approved the US request on 28 May 2025, after that scandal.
Infobae places Front 33 inside the dissident network led by alias Calarcá. The FARC, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, demobilised under a 2016 peace deal, and the dissidents are splinter factions that kept or retook arms.
What It Means for US Readers
When Colombia extradites Mocho Olmedo after a delay tied to peace talks, its new government shows it will send an armed-group leader to a US court on drug charges. Together with Araña’s September transfer, it suggests the August order is being carried out.
The Catatumbo, around Tibú and El Tarra, is where the fighting named in the Colombian charges took place, and our guide Colombia Security 2026: Hotspots, Safer Cities, US Advisory covers the hotspots and the US advisory. Bogotá, where he was held, is covered in our Bogotá expat city guide.
Our guides Who Dominates Colombia, Elites and Regions Explained and Colombia Politics Explained, Who Holds Power in 2026 show how power is organised in Colombia. They help readers place the De la Espriella government’s extradition policy.
What Is Not Known
Reports differ on the day of the handover, with Noticias RCN and El Tiempo saying Thursday 22 October, while El Colombiano and El Espectador report the prison authority’s confirmation on Friday 23 October. They also differ on how many prisoners were extradited together, with Semana counting six in total and Infobae six others.
The sources reviewed do not say when or where he will first appear in a US court, although Infobae says he must appear before the Florida district court. No US Justice Department statement on the case was found.
It is not known what happens to the homicide, displacement and recruitment cases in Colombia. The status of the other leaders named on 26 August, aliases Muñeca, HH and Pinocho, was also not established.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Mocho Olmedo?
Mocho Olmedo is the alias of Willinton Henao Gutiérrez, a senior commander of the FARC dissident Front 33 whom some Colombian outlets call its second in command. He served as a spokesman for the group in peace talks with the Petro government.
Why does the United States want him?
A federal court in southern Florida indicted him on 15 February 2023 on four counts tied to cocaine trafficking and money laundering. The indictment is an allegation, and he has not been convicted in the United States.
When was Mocho Olmedo extradited?
The prison authority confirmed on Friday 23 October 2026 that he left La Picota and was handed to US authorities. Two outlets say the handover itself took place on Thursday 22 October.
Why was his extradition delayed?
The Supreme Court approved it on 28 May 2025, but the Petro government suspended it on 26 June 2025, Infobae reported. President De la Espriella reactivated it on 26 August 2026.
What does it mean for US readers?
It sends a cocaine-linked rebel commander to a US court and shows Colombia’s new government carrying out its extradition order. Travellers should still check the US advisory for the Catatumbo border region before any trip.
Sources: El Tiempo, 23 October 2026; El Colombiano, 23 October 2026; Infobae, 23 October 2026; Semana, 23 October 2026; Noticias RCN, 23 October 2026; La Opinión, 23 October 2026; Publimetro, 8 September 2026; El Heraldo, 27 August 2026; Semana, 28 May 2025; Noticias RCN, 29 September 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief