Diego Murillo Bejarano
| Diego Murillo Bejarano | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
February 23, 1961 Tuluá, Valle del Cauca, Colombia |
| Other names | Don Berna, Adolfo Paz |
| Occupation | Leader of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia and The Office of Envigado |
| Criminal penalty | 27 to 33 years imprisonment |
| Conviction(s) | Drug trafficking, money laundering |
Diego Fernando Murillo Bejarano, also known as Don Berna or Adolfo Paz, is a former leader of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia paramilitary group as well as the leader of The Office of Envigado cartel. He started working for the Medellín Cartel and ultimately led its militia wing. After internal vendettas he became one of Pablo Escobar's many enemies and became part of Los Pepes, an organization headed by the Castaño brothers, Carlos and Fidel. The organization controlled a powerful gang of hitmen named La Terraza (The Terrace). He then commanded two paramilitary blocs, the Cacique Nutibara Bloc and the Granada Heroes Bloc.
He became third in the chain of command of the AUC and a key player during the peace process in Santa Fe de Ralito, Córdoba between his organization and the government of Colombia, until he was accused by a court of being responsible for the death of a deputy. He then escaped from Santa Fe de Ralito and surrendered to authorities four days later.
In the early morning of May 13, 2008, Murillo Bejarano and 13 other paramilitary leaders were taken from their jail cells in a surprise action by the Colombian government. According to Colombian Interior Minister Carlos Holguin, they refused to comply with the country's Peace and Justice law and were therefore extradited to the United States. Many critics argued that this action would actually be favorable to the criminal as he would only be charged for drug trafficking in the United States, as opposed to being charged for his many murders and other illegal activities in Colombia. The next day, Don Berna pleaded innocent to money laundering and drug trafficking charges filed by United States (federal) prosecutors of the Southern District of New York State. The judge ruled the trial would begin September 16, 2008.
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