Carlos Alberto Rentería Mantilla (aka "Beto")

Editor's Commentary: Carlos Mantilla, born in 1945 in Tuluá, Colombia, is a Colombian narco-trafficker and crime boss. Mantilla operated his own organization under a cartel that shipped multi-tons of cocaine. He shipped cocaine is shipped from Colombia, Peru and other South American countries since the 1970s, primarily to Mexico for trans-shipment into the United States. He shipped cocaine from Colombia, Peru and other South American countries before being transported again via trucks and airplanes to the Pacific Coast port of Buenaventura, Colombia. From Buenaventura, Mantilla's syndicate primarily shipped the drug through Mexico into the United States by fast sport boats, fishing and other sea-going vessels. Since 2005, the US Treasury Department has identified his additional businesses used to launder his drug money. They've included business in agriculture, clinics, hotels, accounting firms and the Colombian soccer team Cortuluá. On July 4, the Venezuelan National Guard captured him in Altamira, East Caracas, using information they obtained from British intelligence services.

East Caracas the wealthiest part of the city and Altamíra is an upscale area of East Caracas with multi-million dollar mansions and gated communities. East Caracas is also the biggest stronghold of the U.S.-backed opposition in Venezuela. Colombian cocaine is not only a problem for the U.S. In recent years the drug has been trafficked in large quantities from Colombia into President Chávez' base of support - the youth in the poor barrios of Caracas and other Venezuelan cities. Another concern for the Venezuelan government is the use of money laundering in Venezuela to engineer capital flight by means of corrupt private banks and stock brokerage houses. As with drug enforcement, the Venezuelan government has been enforcing laws against the money changers. This year, the government has nationalized some banks, placed others under government scrutiny, placed the Caracas Stock Exchange under the Central Bank, and currently has about 40 of these white-collar "businessmen" in prison. Others have fled to Miami and Lima where they are given asylum.

- Les Blough in Venezuela

Alberto Renteria Mantilla is suspected of being one of the top leaders of the powerful Norte del Valle drug cartel.

The United States is offering a $5 million reward for the 65-year-old Renteria Mantilla, officials said.

The officials did not provide any further details on the drug trafficker's arrest, but they confirmed that more information would be provided in the next few hours.

Renteria Mantilla was arrested Monday in Altamira, a city east of Caracas, during a joint operation between the National Guard's drug enforcement unit and British intelligence agents, the Caracas daily Ultimas Noticias reported.

The Norte del Valle cartel, considered one of the largest drug trafficking organizations in the world, took over the business of the defunct Cali cartel in southwestern Colombia.

The cartel's leader, Diego Leon Montoya, who is known as "Don Diego" and is blamed for some 1,500 killings over the past two decades, was arrested on Sept. 10, 2007, and extradited to the United States in December 2008.

The Norte del Valle cartel has been accused of smuggling 500 tons of cocaine into the United States via Mexico between 1990 and 2004.

Source: La Prensa