Alleged drug baron behind Mexican cartels in Netherlands arrested in Colombia

The Colombian authorities arrested a 43-year-old Colombian man at the Netherlands’ request. The man is suspected of coordinating cocaine and crystal meth production in the Netherlands for Mexican cartels, Europol said on Thursday.

A Dutch-led investigation linked the man to a seizure of 2.5 tons of methamphetamine in 2019 and at least 20 million euros in money laundering from the Netherlands to Mexico and Colombia, Europol said. “The suspect is also associated with the import of large amounts of cocaine and with various drug labs in the Netherlands.”

The man was arrested on Tuesday, July 18. He is in custody awaiting extradition to the Netherlands. “Over the course of the investigation, several drug labs were dismantled in Europe and over 50 suspects arrested,” Europol said.

The investigation into and arrest of the 43-year-old man is also part of a larger approach to bring down Mexican and Colombian drug trafficking organizations active in Europe.