Colombia ships rebel leader to U.S.

BOGOTA, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- The head of Colombia's leading armed rebel group in captivity, Ricardo Ovidio Palmera, was extradited Friday to the United States.

Palmera, also known as Simon Trinidad, is a leader of the Marxist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, and is wanted in the United States on drug trafficking and other charges.

FARC and other leftist rebel groups have been fighting the Colombian government for 40 years.

The rebel leader was captured in neighboring Ecuador nearly one year ago and had spent 2004 in a Colombia prison awaiting either trial at home or extradition.

In recent months, Colombia has sent wanted druglords to the United States as part of a collaborative effort. Washington has spent some $3 billion to fund the Colombia drug eradication project.