Colombia president asks to stop arrest of narco sought by US

By JOSHUA GOODMAN and ASTRID SUAREZ
Associated Press

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombia’s president is seeking to suspend arrest orders against some of the country’s biggest criminal suspects as part of an ambitious plan to dismantle armed groups that have long dominated the countryside. The request to suspend the arrest orders against eight members of the so-called Gulf Clan was made by President Gustavo Petro’s peace commissioner in a letter dated Jan. 11 to Colombia’s chief prosecutor. Among those on the list is one individual wanted in Brooklyn federal court on U.S. narcotics charges. Colombia’s top law enforcement authority on Friday said there was no legal basis for Petro’s request.