Colombia’s notorious drug lord, Henry de Jesus Lopez, was arrested in a suburb of Buenos Aires, after a months-long chase led by Colombian police through South America.

The Colombian drug lord known as Mi Sangre, or My Blood, is thought to be the leader of the Urabenos gang, which dictates much of the drug trade in northern Colombia, BBCreports.

Lopez posed as a Venezuelan businessman and carried fake passports from five different countries. He is thought to have shipped tons of cocaine from Colombia to the United States, via Central America, the Associated Pressreports.

The Colombian drug lord went through the ranks of right-wing paramilitary group which was also involved in highly organized drug trafficking organizations, General Jose Roberto Leon, the national police director in Bogota said.

Lopez is thought to be responsible for hundreds of deaths and is considered extremely dangerous.

Colombian authorities and DEA agents have joined forces and are systematically capturing a number of the country’s drug lords abroad, going down the chain of command through organized crime rings.

According to US law enforcement, Lopez was the last of the drug lords from the top tier to capture.

About a year ago, Lopez arrived in Argentina with his wife and child. They settled into a house in the wealthy community Nordelta.

But the family did not stay there long and instead moved from house to house, under different names with at least eight bodyguards accompanying them at all times.

A group of Colombian judicial police who were staying in Argentina, aided by US Drug Enforcement Administration, and a small group of Argentine officials finally caught up with Lopez. A Colombian informant was key to Lopez’s arrest and received a $660,000 reward and is being protected.

Investigations continue because it is believed that while Lopez was in Argentina, he was smuggling drugs into and out of the country.

If Lopez is expelled from Argentina to Colombia, he would then be extradited to the United States, where scores of Colombian drug lords are housed.

Colombia Drug Lord Captured In Argentina is a post from: The Inquisitr

Drug kingpin T-shirts featuring Colombian cocaine mastermind Pablo Escobar are a pretty big hit in Mexico, according to Reuters. Although Escobar died nearly two decades ago, his legend lives on, particularly in Mexican states currently engulfed in the country’s bloody drug wars. For those who fondly remember Escobar or just want to honor his legacy, the shirts are currently available for purchase.

These drug kingpin T-shirts were designed by Pablo Escobar’s son, who used his father’s student ID, driver’s license, and other photos for the apparel. However, interested parties should probably bring quite a bit of cash with them for the transaction as these shirts are going to set you back between $60 and $95 a piece. While that may be a hefty price tag for an impoverished country, it hasn’t stopped the T-shirts from becoming a huge hit for Escobar’s son.

According to Colombia Reports, the aforementioned drug kingpin T-shirts will not be sold in Colombia out of respect for those who lost their lives during Pablo Escobar’s rein of violence in the country.

Sebastian Marroquin, fashion designer and son of the drug kingpin, says that the shirts aren’t necessarily meant to glorify his father’s penchant for violence. Instead of encouraging the younger generation to get involved with the drug trade, Marroquin hopes the shirts will prevent history from repeating itself.

“It’s a self-criticism to the history of my father, and an invitation for the youth to be conscious of the dangers of entering the world of drugs and trafficking. It is the first product that has used the image of Pablo Escobar as a vehicle of communication that looks to avoid his history being repeated and to create a social conscience,” the T-shirt’s designer explained. “I’m absolutely aware of the irreparable damage that my father caused in society between the violence that he exerted and the trafficking of drugs.”

Produced by Escobar Henao, the drug kingpin T-shirts featuring images of Pablo Escobar are currently on sale in the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador, Spain, and Austria as well as across the internet. Do you think these T-shirts are in poor taste?

Drug Kingpin T-Shirts: Pablo Escobar Apparel A Hit In Mexico is a post from: The Inquisitr

Talk about sleeping your way into a new job, Dania Londoño Suarez, best known as the Colombian prostitute who was stiffed by a secret service agent has announced plans to open a non-profit organization to support women who have been affected by prostitution.

The announcement comes just after Suarez turned down a $500,000 pornography contract with Vivid Entertainment Group, an adult production company that was beat out by a small screen local TV network that will instead create a made-for-TV special about her life.

Londoño says the legitimate money she is now earning will be used to pay for her son’s education, a new house and the non-profit organization.

Londoño’s lawyers said of their clients recently choices:

“After the incident with president Barack Obama’s secret service, the San Andres native decided to leave the country and listen to all the offers coming her way… she is aware she’s been given a new opportunity to change the course of her life and because of that she asks that all Colombians support her in her upcoming projects.”

The public statement continued:

“The foundation will be based in Bogota, but it could operate anywhere and Dania will funnel to it part (of the money) she receives and has received.”

While Suarez is receiving TV deals, big new appearance and ultimately thousands of dollars it is interesting to witness how she is glamorizing prostitution while setting up a foundation to draw women away from the experience.

While the former prostitute may be glamorizing the sex trade in Colombia her organization could potentially do a lot of good as it is believes that 2,000 children are exploited in Colombia’s sex trade.

Secret Service Sex Worker To Open Foundation For Prostitutes is a post from: The Inquisitr

A disease like AIDS is scary enough by itself but what about a disease that can be just as deadly and is transmitted by insects, that disease is called Chagas and researchers are warning that its being quickly spread throughout the Americas, much in the same pattern as the early HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Chagas is caused by parasites carried by blood-sucking insects and so far more than 8 million people in the Americas have been infected, including people in Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Venezuela, and Bolivia. It is also suspected that nearly 300,000 people in the United States, mostly immigrants, also carry the Chagas parasite.

Once infected many patients never know they have Chagas because symptoms never form for 75% of patients, however the remaining 25% can develop fatally enlarged hearts or intestines which can ultimately lead to a painful and unexpected death.

Aside from a simple animal bite Chagas can be transmitted in blood transfusions. According to researchers in the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, like the AIDS virus, Chagas, also known as American trypanosomiasis, has a long incubation time, is hard if not impossible to cure and because it is a “disease of the poor” little money is spent on prevention or finding new treatments.

It’s not as if Chagas is a new parasite, some researchers believe a bug that bit Charles Darwin gave him the disease which eventually led to his death, how’s that for survival of the fittest.

While not quite the same as the AIDS virus which effects a larger number of people once inside their blood stream, Chagas is following a similarly scary pattern of infection and with its easier to transmit capabilities it could grow into an epidemic. Just take a look at the Central American bug Rhodnius Priloxius (shown above), that little insect is the main spreader of Chagas in Central America, proving that it doesn’t take much to spread the potentially deadly disease to one in four people it attacks.

Chagas Disease Becoming ‘New Aids’ Of The Americas is a post from: The Inquisitr

The National Enquirer reports that single-mother Dania Sanches, the Secret Service prostitute highlighted in the developing U.S. Secret Service scandal that continues to batter the reputation of the prestigious government agency, has gone underground after intense media exposure.

Prostitution is legal in Colombia where Sanches has worked as a prostitute as well as a dancer. After the scandal erupted in which she allegedly refused to leave a hotel room occupied by Secret Service agents without first being paid in entirety for her services, the dancer/prostitute has apparently decided to go into hiding. In regards to her sudden departure, her lawyer was quoted having said:

“Put yourself in her shoes. Her photo out there has caused her too much stress.”

President Obama expects a “thorough and rigorous” investigation to be conducted and was quoted having said:

“Of course I’ll be angry [if the allegations are true].”

Sarah Palin was also quoted commenting on the alleged misconduct by federal agents, who were previously assigned to protect Barack Obama at the Summit of the Americas held in Cartagena, Colombia, as she said:

“It’s like, who’s minding the store around here? The president, for one, he better be wary, there, of when Secret Service is accompanying his family on vacation. They may be checking out the first lady instead of guarding her.”

David Chaney, one of two supervisors charged in the developing scandal made some lewd comments regarding former Governor of Alaska Palin as he commented on a photograph of himself on assignment guarding Palin in which he states:

“I was really checking her out, if you know what I [sic] mean?”

To which the former Alaska Governor replied:

“Well, check this out, buddy – you’re fired!”

What are your thoughts on the alleged Secret Service prostitute, 24-year-old Dania Sanches, going into hiding?

Secret Service Prostitute Dania Sanches Has Disappeared is a post from: The Inquisitr

Following the salacious tale of several Secret Service agents consorting with paid sex workers during a conference in Colombia, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has said the incident is “disgusting,” a “disgrace,” “disconcerting,” and added that the alleged actions on the part of the Secret Service agents was “every D-word you can think of.”

(Douchey. Nancy Pelosi wanted to say “douchey,” but she can’t because she’s Nancy Pelosi, so I’m saying it for her. It was Jersey Shore four-popped-collars-level douchey.) Pelosi admitted she had not been briefed on the specifics of the scandal in which 10 Secret Service agents along with 10 military personnel were accused of engaging in injudicious behavior involving prostitutes, though the full picture is still unfolding.

Pelosi said:

“It’s a stunning thing. It’s actually disgusting. There has to be an investigation to see how this could have happened and those responsible should have to pay a price. Those people who are responsible have brought disgrace and it’s disgusting.”

The California Dem continued:

“I don’t see how those who are involved in this should be able to continue with their work… Disgusting, disconcerting, every D-word you can think of. But it is nonetheless something that needs to be looked at right away, because the security of the president is immediate and that can’t be put on a back burner.

So I think that those responsible should report what they know, and if that’s not satisfactory then we reserve the right to go forward on it.”

The scandal on which Nancy Pelosi is commenting (that is likely to cost at least 11 members of the elite guard their jobs) allegedly stemmed from a disagreement between one of the men and one of the sex workers as to the cost of the evening’s activities.

Nancy Pelosi ‘Disgusted’ Over Secret Service Hooker Scandal is a post from: The Inquisitr

President Barack Obama spoke at a press conference with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos earlier today and said that he expects a “thorough and rigorous” investigation into the allegations of misconduct which have resulted in an on-going Secret Service scandal which continues to embarrass the United States. Obama was quoted by CBS News having said:

“Of course I’ll be angry [if the allegations are true]“

While the president never specified the allegations, which have been confirmed by numerous media outlets, he did confirm that those individuals who have been placed on leave failed to conduct themselves at a level which is coincident with what is expected of agents representing the United States. To quote President Obama:

“Obviously, what’s been reported doesn’t match up to those standards.”

For those who haven’t been keeping up with the unfolding U.S. Secret Service scandal, it is alleged that at least one prostitute visited with at least one agent. There are additional allegations of heavy alcohol consumption for the duration of their stay. According to a Colombian police report, which was taken as the incident involved a foreign national, a prostitute refused to leave the hotel until paid for services rendered.

Obama stated that if the allegations were true, you would be angry. To quote the president:

“I expect that investigation to be thorough, and I expect it to be rigorous. If it turns out that some of the allegations that have been made in the press are confirmed, then of course I’ll be angry. [...] We are representing the people of the United States, and when we travel to another country, I expect us to observe the highest standards.”

What are your thoughts on the developing scandal involving prostitutes and agents with the prestigious United States Secret Service?

Secret Service Scandal: President Obama Will ‘Be Angry’ If Allegations Prove True is a post from: The Inquisitr

In regards to the Secret Service scandal involving at least one prostitute in Colombia, U.S. Representative Peter King says that a Cartagena prostitute refused to leave a Secret Service occupied room at Hotel Caribe until she was paid.

Secret Service spokesman Paul S. Morrissey said in a statement yesterday that 11 U.S. Secret Service agents, who were working with President Barack Obama to secure his arrival in Colombia for the Summit of the Americas, were placed on administrative leave after allegations of misconduct involving at least one prostitute made headline news.

U.S. Representative King, who also heads the House Homeland Security Committee, was briefed twice on the incident yesterday and says that visitors of guests at Hotel Caribe were required to be out by 7 a.m., however, one guest was not out by curfew and refused to leave after hotel officials knocked and requested that his departure. After the hotel officials called the local police, the woman claimed that she would not leave as she was owed money. The Secret Service agent then paid the prostitute and a police report was filed as a foreign national was involved.

King has indicated that 2 or 3 uniformed officers and 2 Secret Service supervisors, all with previously spotless records, were involved in the scandal. ABC News quoted King today in an interview in which the New York Republican said:

“They were questioned all day yesterday at Secret Service headquarters.”

He went onto say that it was believed that all 11 had brought women to their hotel rooms in Cartagena, Colombia. King’s staff “is going to begin an investigation” in which they will examine the procedures in place at the time of the incident in order to prevent a similarly embarrassing incident from occurring.

What are your thoughts on this breaking Secret Service scandal?

Secret Service Scandal: Prostitute Refused To Leave Until Paid is a post from: The Inquisitr

When 14-year-old American runaway Jakadrien Turner was taken in for questioning by local authorities she gave a fake name that matched that of a 22-year-old illegal alien, after a complete failure by officials to confirm her identity she was mistakenly deported to Colombia.

Upon arrival the American runaway did not know how to speak Spanish and took a job working long hours as a maid in Bogata. According to the Dallas Morning News she is now pregnant and her grandmother is furious.

Asking how such an act could occur she grandmother said:

“How do you deport a teenager and send her to Colombia without a passport, without anything?”

It was her grandmother in fact who located the girl using Facebook and not the agency that messed up her deportation.

Jakadrien is now being held in a Colombia detention facility and officials are refusing to release her despite the family’s pleas to send the little girl home.

In the meantime officials at Immigration and Customs Enforcement are investigating the case with a spokesman revealing:

“ICE takes these allegations very seriously.”

As for her grandmother, she realizes that at this time everything is out of her hands and has resigned to saying “I need help and I need a prayer.”

We have long known that the deportation process in America is fractured but the moment we start sending American teens to Colombia is the moment investigations need to be launched. If this girl was Caucasian and not African American I doubt this would have ever happened.

Do you think it was ridiculous for ICE to so easily deport a 14-year-old Texas runaway without so much as attempting to find out her real identity?

14-Year-Old Texas Runaway Gets Deported By Accident is a post from: The Inquisitr

A new 28-story escalator in Colombia’s second largest city has set a world record as the world’s longest outdoor escalator, and has improved the life quality of thousands of people in the process.

However, this mega electric stairway hasn’t been built in a futuristic casino or a glitzy mall. Instead, this $6.7 million behemoth was constructed in the Comuna 13 neighborhood of Medellin, Colombia – one of the poorest and most violent areas of the city.

The escalator is divided into six sections and has been built against a steep hillside, leaving residents of Comuna 13 overjoyed. Whereas previously people would spend 35 minutes climbing hundreds of steps to scale the hill, the new escalator takes only six minutes to scale 1,260 feet – and all for free. Best of all, there’s a second escalator for the downhill journey as well. Nice!

This week saw residents take their inaugural journey on the new stairway, and for once they could relax and enjoy the scenic view overlooking Medellin. Officials in the city are hoping the escalator will help quash the violent reputation of the area, and turn the neighborhood into a source of national pride.

And they just might be on to something. Already it’s been reported that officials from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil have booked a trip to see (and possibly mimic) the escalator. Here’s hoping things work out – the only way is up, Comuna 13! (I’m here all week).

Here’s a video of the escalator in action, complete with chuffed citizens:

[Via Time]

28-Story Escalator Opens in Colombia [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr