Former drug chief known as “Macho” extradited from Bolivia nearly three years after the United States offered a $5 million reward

Bolivia's former counternarcotics chief was extradited to the United States on Thursday to face federal drug trafficking charges in a New York court.

Authorities said Maximiliano Dávila, who served as counternarcotics chief during the final months of Evo Morales' administration from 2006 to 2019, helped facilitate plane shipments of cocaine to the United States. United. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Dávila exploited his position “to secure access to Bolivian airfields for the transportation of cocaine and to ensure that members of Bolivian law enforcement under his command – including individuals armed with machine guns – provide protection for these drug shipments.

Dávila – who authorities say is also known as “Macho” – boarded a private jet sent from the United States specifically for his extradition.

On February 2, 2022, the U.S. State Department announced a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Dávila's conviction. He is charged with conspiracy to provide high-level protection for cocaine shipments to the United States, as well as weapons-related charges involving possession of machine guns. According to the State Department, Dávila “allegedly used his position to protect planes used to transport cocaine to third countries, for further distribution in the United States.”

Police escort former police colonel Maximiliano Davila, center, as he is presented to the media at an office of the Bolivian police command in La Paz, Bolivia, January 23, 2022. Juan Karita/AP

In late November, Bolivia's Supreme Court approved Dávila's immediate extradition to the United States. He denied any wrongdoing.

Morales expelled the US Drug Enforcement Administration from Bolivia in 2008, accusing it of plotting to overthrow his government at a time of rising commodity prices and a wave of left-wing politics across South America. South were challenging the United States' long-standing influence in the region. Meanwhile, the two countries have not exchanged ambassadors for more than 15 years.

The drug investigation that led to the charges against Dávila was initiated by the DEA's Special Operations Division in 2017, according to court records.

As part of the investigation, criminal informants working under the direction of the DEA recorded conversations in which a co-defendant of Dávila bragged about having access to an MD-11 military cargo plane to transport 60 tons of cocaine to the UNITED STATES.

The co-defendant, Percy Vasquez-Drew, said that “he and other traffickers were able to operate with impunity in Bolivia because the DEA and CIA were expelled” and that the remaining anti-drug officials in the country were easily bribed. prosecutors said in court filings.

Vasquez-Drew was later arrested in Panama on a US arrest warrant. He pleaded guilty in 2020 to a single count of conspiracy to smuggle more than 450 kilograms of narcotics into the United States. Earlier this year, his sentence was reduced to 100 months in federal prison.

Bolivia is the world's third largest producer of cocaine.

It is unclear how close Dávila is to Morales, a former coca producer. But the two appeared together in an October 2019 photograph celebrating Morales' birthday, standing next to several cakes decorated with coca leaves. Also in the photo was the former head of the Bolivian National Police.

Although the DEA has arrested numerous Bolivian drug traffickers over the years, including one of Dávila's predecessors, Morales himself was never charged with drug trafficking. He vehemently denounced the United States' war on drugs in Latin America and defended the traditional uses of coca, the raw material for cocaine.

More from CBS News

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos