The trajectory of this drug trafficker who for years sowed pain at the head of the Organized Armed Group (GAO) came to an end. The Colombian National Police and the Military Forces captured him in the framework of the operation 'Osiris', which is part of the Military and Police Campaign 'Agamemnon'. Otoniel has 128 arrest warrants, seven convictions and eight security measures. There are also two red circulars and an INTERPOL blue circular and extradition request issued by a United States court.

Bogotá D.C. This October 23 will be marked as one of the most important days in the history of the fight against organized crime in Colombia. In the framework of Operation Osiris', Military and Police Campaign, was captured by the National Police of All Colombians and Military Forces, Dairo Antonio Úsuga David, alias 'Otoniel', head of the 'Gulf Clan', fulfilling the Public Force’s commitment to the country.

He was located in a remote area of Nudo de Paramillo, between Cerro Yoki and Cerro Azul, in Antioquia.

The criminal trajectory of 'Otoniel'

Dairo Antonio Úsuga David, also known as 'Otoniel' or 'Mauricio' and top leader of the 'Clan del Golfo' until the day of the submission to justice of that organized armed group, was considered the most valuable target for the Colombian State.

‘Otoniel' was born 50 years ago in Antioquia. He began his criminal career 34 years ago, when he was 16, in the defunct guerrilla group of the Ejército Popular de Liberación - EPL (People’s Liberation Army - PLA), where he was molding his ideology based on Marxist-Leninist-Maoist principles.

As a member of this armed group, he began to gain experience in the handling of weapons and criminal structures, and created a doctrine that catapulted him to lead in a short time a network dedicated to drug trafficking, illicit mining, extortion and smuggling.

At the age of 19, three years after joining the PLA, he underwent the process of demobilizing the guerrillas together with 3,000 members, but decided to continue committing crimes as a member of the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia - AUC (United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia – AUC).

He eventually became one of the leaders of the ‘Bloque Centauros’ (Centaur Block) in the Eastern Plains, alongside his brother Juan de Dios Úsuga David, known in the world of crime as Giovanny'. They later became the main lieutenants of drug trafficker Daniel Rendón Herrera or 'Don Mario'. The lives of these people were surrounded by eccentricities, luxuries and women.

After the demobilization of the AUC in 2005, the Úsuga brothers continued to commit crimes.

Later the capture of the kingpin 'Don Mario', in April 2009 in Necoclí (Antioquia), during a National Police operation, 'Giovanny' and 'Otoniel' inherited control of the criminal, structural and financial scaffolding of the 'Gulf Clan' which included armed men, urban support networks, collection centers, drug trafficking routes and multiple furniture and real estate. Thus they began to extend their tentacles in various regions of the country and to consolidate a criminal organization nourished mainly with money from drug trafficking.

Alongside his brother, who assumed the leadership, 'Otoniel' became a target not only for the Colombian authorities but also for the United States government, which offered $5 million for information leading to his capture. In Colombia, a reward of up to 3 billion pesos was offered for its location.

In 2012, after the death of 'Giovanny' in the course of a police operation, Dairo Antonio Úsuga became the top leader of the Organized Armed Group (GAO), giving continuity to the mafia clan that, faced with the capture or neutralization of their leaders, always tried to rebuild their criminal control lines and multiple links with drug cartels.

An example of this phenomenon is Alexander Montoya Úsuga, a cousin of 'Otoniel' known as 'El flaco Montoya', a key card for the shipment of drugs from Colombia to Central America and the United States. After his capture in 2012, in Honduras, his place was taken over by leaders such as the 'Negro Sarley', 'El Indio', 'Leo' and 'Visaje', among others.

Likewise, several of his relatives and close associates were captured by the authorities as his sentimental partner ‘La Flaca’, in charge of supporting a network of money laundering and front man; his nephew ‘Orejas’, in charge of drug trafficking from Chocoano Urabá to Central America; his brothers 'Chengo' and 'La Negra', his sister-inlaw 'La Jefa' and his cousins '07' and 'La Zarca', among others, all linked to the clan. His cousin Alexánder Montoya Úsuga, alias ‘El Flaco’, was extradited last August to the United States.

In the same way, the forceful actions of the Public Forces allowed the neutralization of ringleaders such as 'Gavilán', 'El Indio', 'Inglaterra', 'Culo de Toro', 'Pablito', 'Ramiro Bigotes', 'Guagua', 'Cobra 5', 'Pueblo' and 'Marihuano', this last second leader of the criminal group, killed last February.

‘Otoniel’ has 128 arrest warrants for various crimes such as drug trafficking, extortion, homicide, forced displacement, arms trafficking, the formation of armed groups, conspiracy to commit crimes and crimes against humanity, among others. He also has seven convictions and eight detention measures in force.

Likewise, there are two red and one blue circulars against him from INTERPOL and an extradition request issued by a United States court.

Intelligence and criminal investigation tasks point to Dairo Antonio Úsuga as responsible for directing criminal alliances with residual organized crime structures and with some members of the ELN for drug trafficking activities, especially across the Gulf of Uraba.

‘It is an honor to be a Police Officer’.