Colombia extradited Dairo Antonio Usaga, known as Otoniel, an accused drug trafficker and leader of the Clan del Golfo criminal group to the United States, President Ivan Duque said.
Otoniel, who according to Colombian authorities trafficked between 180 and 200 tonnes of cocaine a year with the Clan del Golfo, was detained last October in Antioquia province.
In a video message, president Duque compared Otoniel to deceased drug lord Pablo Escobar.
Wearing a bulletproof vest and helmet, Otoniel arrived at an air base in Colombia's capital Bogota, where he was seen on to a plane by Colombian police.
Authorities say the 50-year-old is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of members of Colombia's security forces and he is wanted in the United States for crimes including drug trafficking, conspiracy and illegally possessing weapons.
Colombian authorities say Otoniel was captured during an operation by security forces involving hundreds of men and almost two dozen helicopters, although he later told the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) tribunal that he handed himself in.
