The son of a former United Nations Ambassador who was tortured and murdered by guerrilla fighters in Colombia marked a major victory in his search for justice, recovering nearly $1 million from the drug cartel that executed his father.
The attorneys representing Antonio Caballero announced Thursday the recovery of the money from the Mexican Norte de Valle Cartel, which allegedly has ties to the narco-terrorist groups FARC and the National Liberation Army (ELN), for the murder of Carlos Caballero.
The bloody tragedy struck a nerve during the height of the drug trade war in Colombia during the 90s.
In 1999, Caballero, a senator and president of Colombia's Liberal Party, was kidnapped and held captive for six months before being murdered by leftist guerrillas. His family paid millions in ransom, but Caballero was executed anyway. His bullet-riddled body was found on a dirt road.
Since the politician's death and his family's exile, his son, Antonio, had been on a journey to recover assets lost.
Caballero owned land in the Magdalena River Valley, which was an area heavily used by drug smugglers. The younger Caballero, who now lives in South Florida, said his family was targeted because of his land. The 76-year-old businessman was also known to be a vocal critic of the rebel groups.
In 2014, the Miami-Dade Circuit Court awarded Caballero's son $191.4 million and ruled that FARC and ELN were working with the Norte de Valle Cartel.
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After the ruling, Caballero's son filed another lawsuit to seize assets of the groups. Many experts said the feat would be challenging.
In an historic victory, Caballero's son collected nearly $1 million from the Mexican cartel. Even though Caballero has claimed victory, the family is still haunted by the savage murder.
