The United States yesterday offered up to $ 10 million in rewards for information on two former leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), whom it accuses of drug trafficking in partnership with Venezuelan officials.
"They participated in a conspiracy related to drug smuggling and terrorism with high-ranking Venezuelan officials," said the State Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration in a statement.
Santric and Marques helped negotiate a 2016 peace agreement that ended a 52-year conflict in Colombia with FARC forces, and led to the demobilization of 7,000 fighters.
The FARC movement turned into a political party and was given 10 seats in Congress, one by Marquise, while Santreich had another.
But Marquez disappeared in 2018 without taking his seat, while Santric took his seat in June 2019, after he had been in detention for more than a year for drug trafficking, but then disappeared before he appeared in court.
The two appeared again in a video in August, accusing President Evan Duque's government of not respecting the peace agreement and announcing that they would take up arms again. Bogota accused the Caracas government of hosting and protecting them.
The State Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration said they suspected Marquez and Santreich had partnered with a Venezuelan drug cartel that includes high-ranking government officials to send cocaine to the United States.
The two sides offered rewards of up to $ 10 million to everyone who provides information leading to "arrest or conviction" by Marquis and Santrich.
The US Department of Justice has also charged Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and 14 current or former Venezuelan officials.
The United States offered a reward of up to $ 15 million for Maduro.