US offers $5M reward for leader of Ecuadorian criminal group

By Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US announced a reward of up to $5 million Thursday for information leading to the arrest or conviction of fugitive Francisco Manuel Bermudez Cagua, a senior leader of the Ecuadorian organization Los Choneros.

The State Department said Bermudez Cagua is the first member of Los Choneros to be added to the Narcotics Rewards Program target list. The agency accused him of helping direct the group’s drug- and weapons-trafficking operations.

The reward, issued jointly with Ecuador, complements previous US sanctions targeting the group.