Colombian captured
The United States hopes the recent capture of the guerrilla drug king known as "Sonia" may shed some light on the fate of three Americans held hostage by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.
Sonia (real name Nayibe Rojas) was the cocaine and finance chief in the Caqueta area of southern Colombia.
Said a defense source, "As a senior leader in that region, she is likely aware of where our guys are, disposition of enemy forces, etc. In addition, her capture will put a big dent in the FARC's ability to generate cash from coca."
A new U.S.-trained Colombian special-operations unit has scored a string of successes in recent months as it corners and kills or captures top leaders of FARC, a terrorist organization that indiscriminately kills military personnel and civilians, and deals in the international cocaine trade.
We reported earlier this year that a rescue mission would be next to impossible at this point to rescue three American contractors captured when their plane was shot down. The FARC moves the hostages frequently. At base camps, FARC operators set up multiple rings of defense.
----- Source : http://www.gertzfile.com/gertzfile/ring021304.html February 13, 2004 Notes from the Pentagon