Drug boss in court today after 15-year hunt

AFTER more than 15 years of relentless pursuit, the former head of Colombia’s Cali drug cartel is to appear in court in the United States today.

Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela, alias "The Chess Player" for his ability to out-think opponents, led the Cali cartel from its formation in 1984, building it into the most powerful crime syndicate in the world.

In the early 1990s the cartel controlled up to 80 per cent of the world cocaine trade and was moving four tons of the drug into the US every month. The crimelord was extradited from Colombia on Saturday amid massive security, aboard a US Drug Enforcement Agency plane.

"Rodriguez Orejuela is arguably the highest level drug-trafficking figure ever to occupy a US prison cell," said Michael J. Garcia, assistant secretary for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.