Local, state, and federal authorities arrested alleged Colombian drug lord Aderbis Pierla in New Braunfels, Texas this week. (Bogota Metropolitan Police)
"[Pirela's] role within these organizations was to distribute pamphlets, collect extortion and when they did not pay it, he obviously threatened or made an attack against the victims or their relatives," said Bogotá Prosecutor's Office Leonor Merchán Lopera, according to local outlet KENS5.
Pirela fled Colombia and traveled through Central America to the U.S.-Mexico border to continue his extortion efforts, General José Daniel Gualdrón, commander of the Bogotá Metropolitan Police, told the outlet.
Pirela was apprehended by Homeland Security San Antonio in cooperation with state and local authorities, who turned him into the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS 30,000 MIGRANTS FROM 4 COUNTRIES INTO THE US EACH MONTH UPHELD BY JUDGE
Drug lord Aderbis Seguna Pierla is wanted in Bogotá, Colombia, in connection to multiple murders, extortion and drug trafficking. (Bogota Metropolitan Police)
He continued, "It is a call that I take this opportunity to ratify to the national government, because it is very important that those criminals who with the effort extraordinary measures that are being made of the authorities in charge of capturing and prosecuting them, do not continue to commit crimes from prison."
It is unknown exactly how long Pirela has been operating in the U.S. or when he entered the country.
Timothy Nerozzi is a writer for Fox News Digital. You can follow him on Twitter @timothynerozzi and can email him at timothy.nerozzi@fox.com
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