Geovany Andrés Rojas, better known by his alias ‘Araña’ (Spider), the top commander of the Colombian armed group Comandos de la Frontera, was extradited to the United States on September 25 to face narcotrafficking charges in the Southern District of California. He is expected to make his first court appearance on September 28.
Rojas had spent a year and a half in a Colombian prison after failed peace negotiations with former President Gustavo Petro’s government under its “total peace” initiative, a policy that sought to negotiate the surrender of armed groups instead of prosecuting them militarily. According to his defense lawyer, who spoke to El Tiempo on condition of anonymity, Rojas intends to resolve his case through a negotiated agreement with US authorities rather than go to trial.
US prosecutors say Rojas led an organization that profited from coca cultivation and cocaine production in southwestern Colombia, a key region in the global cocaine supply chain, maintaining control through weapons and violence. He reportedly posed with armed fighters on social media and gave interviews on the group’s behalf.
Although Rojas had been negotiating a possible surrender under Petro’s peace program in early 2025, Colombian authorities determined he continued criminal activity and arrested him. His defense expressed disappointment with the government’s handling of the talks, insisting Rojas has always been willing to face justice in both countries.
Read the full investigation at El Tiempo.
Source: Primicia: Alias Araña negociará con la justicia tras ser extraditado a Estados Unidos (eltiempo.com).
Image: U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Jim Watson..