Purported Colombian drug lord arrested in Rio de Janeiro, faces possible extradition to US

Brazil police arrest alleged Colombian drug lord

SAO PAULO — Brazil has arrested a suspected Colombian drug kingpin wanted in the U.S. on smuggling and money laundering allegations.

A police statement says Nestor Caro Chapparro is “one of Colombia’s top four drug traffickers.”

He was arrested Friday at his Rio de Janeiro home after Brazil’s Supreme Court issued a warrant.

The United States was offering $5 million for Chapparro’s capture and has asked for his extradition.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency accuses Chapparro of smuggling more than 5,000 kilograms of cocaine from Brazil to the U.S. in the late 1990s. The agency also accuses him of money laundering.