Matamba, Colombian Drug Trafficker, Killed by Cops After His Escape From Maximum-Security Jail in Colombia

Matamba, who is considered to be one of Colombia's most-wanted drug traffickers, has been killed by police after he was seen to escape from La Picota maximum-security jail in the capital, Bogotá, in March.

Matamba, whose real name is Juan Castro, was shown calmly walking out of his cell dressed in the uniform of a prison guard as shown in CCTV footage, according to a BBC News report.

Colombia's President Ivan Duque said that Matamba had been "neutralized" in the city of Bolivar, in northern Colombia. However, Duque did not provide any more details about the police operation in which the fugitive gang leader was killed.

Matamba was expected to be extradited to the U.S. on charges of drug trafficking. He led an off-shoot at the Gulf Clan cartel. He was also accused of running up to 20 percent of the cocaine shipments from Nariño province, in Colombia's southwest.

Matamba's gang is known to be called Cordillera Sur. They have paid off a number of high-ranking members of the Colombian military.

Colombian Drug Trafficker Matamba

Matamba was an important member of Colombia drug-trafficking gang, the Clan del Golfo, and was accused of being alied with Mexican cartels and shipping tons of cocaine to the United States.

He was captured during his birthday celebrations in May 2021 in the city of Bucaramanga, which is the capital of Colombia's Santander province.

Reuters reported that Matamba later fled from a maximum-security prison in the capital Bogota last March while dressed as a prison guard.

The Colombian drug trafficker also had connections with FARC dissidents who rejected a 2016 peace deal with the government.

One Florida court had sought his extradition to the United States.

Matamba was killed in Santander province weeks after Dairo Antonio Usuga was extradited to the U.S. to face drug trafficking charges.

Usuga, also known as Otoniel, was Clan del Golfo's top leader.

Matamba was believed to have alliances with the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation Mexican cartels. The two groups send high-caliber arms to Colombia in payment for cocaine shipments, according to security officials.

Gulf Clan Drug Cartel in Colombia

The Gulf Clan drug cartel in Colombia had shut down dozens of towns in northern Colombia for four days in response to its leader being extradited to the U.S. for trial.

The drug cartel warned that anyone who disobeyed the stay-at-home order risked being shot or having their vehicle burned.

Businesses and schools closed while intercity bus service was suspended. A professional soccer match could not be played after one of the teams refused to travel to the game, as reported by CBS News.

Analysts noted that the cartel's ability to shut down multiple towns shows shortcomings in the government's fight against drug trafficking groups.

Camilo Gonzalez, the president of Colombian think tank Indepaz, said that drug trafficking will not cease with the capture of Otoniel.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Atención alias Matamba fue dado de baja | Semana Noticias - from Revista Semana