bribes ordered by Montoya and his men. The newspaper also revealed the possible involvement of an Admiral of the Colombian Navy named Gabriel Arango who used his influence to support drug cartels. Arango marked documents related to this as classified and with a "horseshoe logo"; authorities later found that these were the flight routes of the Norte del Valle Cartel along both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts through Ecuador, Panama, Colombia and Venezuela. Capture Montoya was captured on September 10, 2007, by Colombian authorities in a rural area of the municipality of Zarzal in Valle del Cauca Department after two hours of fighting with security ring. In a briefing by the Colombian Ministry of Defense during the presentation of Montoya to the public through Caracol TV, the General of the Colombian Army Mario Montoya Uribe detailed the operation, dubbed as Operation Simeón, which started at 0430 hrs on 10 September 2007 after a military intelligence operation between the municipalities of Zarzal and La Unión in northern Valle del Cauca Department. General Montoya said that Montoya had a security ring in a jungle rural area. Montoya was accompanied by his mother and some 17 other close relatives. Eight years after his capture the reward is still in progress and has not been paid. Extradition On May 19, 2008, Colombian Interior and Justice ex-Minister Carlos Holguin announced that 'Don Diego', together with some prominent paramilitary leaders, would be extradited to the United States. On December 12, 2008, Montoya was indeed extradited to Miami on a D.E.A. helicopter, marking the final demise of the Norte del Valle Cartel. He was scheduled to appear in court for 12 charges including drug trafficking, obstruction of justice, money laundering and murder. Sentencing On October 21, 2009, a federal judge in Miami sentenced Montoya to 45 years in prison. Montoya had pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to import cocaine and obstruction of justice in August. In court Montoya apologized for his role in the cocaine trade, saying that he had "come to the conclusion that there is nothing I could ever do to repair the great harm I have caused". It is my sincere hope to be able to bring relief to my family and the families of the victims and bring their nightmare to a conclusion. -- Diego Montoya Approving the 45-year sentence requested by the prosecution, Judge Cecilia Altonaga said she recognized Montoya's "remorse"