Venezuela’s ex-general surrenders to US

BOGOTA: A retired Venezuelan general has turned himself over to Colombian authorities after the United States charged him with drug-trafficking and offered a reward for his capture, local media said on Saturday.

Cliver Alcala turned himself in on Friday to the Colombians, who in turn handed him over to US authorities, the El Tiempo de Bogota newspaper said.

Washington on Thursday indicted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and several current and former top government officials for "narco-terrorism" and offered a $15 million reward for information leading to Maduro's capture.

As part of the US Justice Department indictment, up to $10 million was offered for the capture of Alcala, who has been living in the northern Colombian city of Barranquilla for the last two years.

He was sent to New York on a flight that was granted special permission to break the total lockdown imposed by Colombia´s President Ivan Duque as part of measures to restrict the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, El Tiempo said.

Former Venezuelan security chief Ivan Simonovis, who was welcomed by US authorities last year after escaping Venezuela following 15 years of detention under the leftist regime, told AFP that he had information that Alcala was either en route to or already in New York.