elligence ▁agents ▁dis gu ised ▁as ▁journal ists ▁and ▁international ▁aid ▁workers ▁in ▁a ▁hel ic opter ▁rescue . ▁Military ▁intelligence ▁agents ▁in fil tr ated ▁the ▁gu err illa ▁ranks ▁and ▁led ▁the ▁local ▁commander ▁in ▁charge ▁of ▁the ▁capt ives , ▁Ger ardo ▁Agu ilar ▁Ram í rez , ▁alias ▁Ces ar , ▁to ▁believe ▁they ▁were ▁going ▁to ▁take ▁them ▁by ▁hel ic opter ▁to ▁Alfonso ▁C ano , ▁the ▁gu err illas ' ▁supre me ▁leader . ▁The ▁res cu ed ▁included ▁Í n grid ▁Bet anc ourt ▁( former ▁president ial ▁C andid ate ), ▁U . S . ▁military ▁contract ors ▁Marc ▁G ons al ves , ▁Thomas ▁How es , ▁and ▁Keith ▁St ans ell , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁eleven ▁Colomb ian ▁police ▁officers ▁and ▁soldiers . ▁The ▁commander , ▁Ces ar ▁and ▁one ▁other ▁re bel ▁were ▁taken ▁into ▁cust ody ▁by ▁agents ▁without ▁incident ▁after ▁board ing ▁the ▁hel ic opter . ▁On ▁ 4 ▁July , ▁some ▁obser vers ▁question ed ▁whether ▁or ▁not ▁this ▁was ▁an ▁intercept ed ▁capt ive ▁release ▁made ▁to ▁look ▁like ▁a ▁rescue . ▁In ▁a ▁ 5 ▁July ▁commun ique , ▁F AR C ▁itself ▁bl amed ▁reb els ▁Ces ar ▁and ▁En rique ▁for ▁the ▁escape ▁of ▁the ▁capt ives ▁and ▁acknowled ged ▁the ▁event ▁as ▁a ▁set back ▁but ▁re iter ated ▁their ▁willing ness ▁to ▁reach ▁future ▁human itar ian ▁agre ements . ▁Im medi ately ▁after ▁the ▁capt ive ▁rescue , ▁Colomb ian