Member of Columbian Terrorist Group Found Guilty of Hostage-Taking Conspiracy

According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice Wednesday, Juvenal Ovidio Ricardo Palmera Pineda, a member of the terrorist group Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, or FARC, has been found guilty of conspiracy to take three American citizens in the Republic of Columbia hostage.

Palmera was found guilty of conspiracy on July 9 of this year, and the court continued to work on four related counts but were unable to reach a unanimous verdict.

A status hearing has been scheduled for July 31, but a sentencing date has not yet been set. As of now, Ricardo Palmera faces a lifetime sentence in prison, but an agreement with Columbia forces the court to give the sentence in years rather than just "life."

U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Taylor said of the situation: "This verdict is a significant step forward in our determination to prosecute every FARC leader involved in any manner in the Feb. 13, 2003, murder of Mr. Thomas Janis and the kidnapping of the other three Americans, Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell and Thomas Howes. Our agents and prosecutors will not rest until justice is done and the American hostages are safely returned home to their families."

Assistant Attorney General for National Security Kenneth L. Wainstein continued, "Anyone involved in the hostage-taking and murder of Americans anywhere around the globe should pay close attention to this verdict. This prosecution demonstrates we will spare no effort to apprehend, prosecute and punish any individual who participates in the abduction of our citizens. While we are extremely pleased with the conviction, we continue to focus our attention on liberating all the hostages, including the three Americans held in Colombia."

The press release mentions that the U.S. government is committed to retrieving the hostages and holds the hostage-takers responsible.

The hostages had been in Columbia conducting surveillance when their plane, a Cessna, crashed. The pilot, an American named Thomas Janis, and a Columbian national, Luis Alcides Cruz, were executed by the FARC members that surrounded the crashed plane. The remaining three, Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell, and Thomas Howes, were taken hostage and a still currently held by FARC.

The FARC took credit for the crime in a communiqué issued on April 27, 2003. They specifically mentioned Ricardo Palmera as their spokesperson. Palmera was arrested on January 7, 2004, when he was found with false identification.

According to a BBC article, the FARC is responsible for the majority of Columbian kidnappings. They are also highly involved with the drug trade.

Sources:

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/07-11-2007/0004624079&EDATE=

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/1746777.stm