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Spain Arrests Alleged ELN Financier 'Mono Gerly' in Madrid

Police say he ran a laundering network that financed Colombia’s ELN.

Overview

  • He was detained by the National Police’s fugitives unit after discreet surveillance as he arrived with his partner at a central Madrid shop he had opened as cover.
  • He is wanted under an international notice for money laundering and terrorist financing, according to police reports citing Interpol.
  • Investigators describe him as a long‑time member of the Frente de Guerra Oriental since 2004 and the third leader of its Comando Central.
  • Police attribute to him a scheme using shell companies, bank correspondents and currency‑exchange houses to legalize cash from narcotrafficking and extortion through purchases of land, vehicles and properties.
  • Authorities say he settled in Madrid in October without a fixed address, and the case now moves to judicial proceedings and coordination with Colombian counterparts.