▁U . S . ▁Marsh als ▁Service ▁agents ▁and ▁was ▁immediately ▁put ▁on ▁a ▁plane ▁to ▁Tul sa , ▁Oklahoma . ▁ ▁His ▁extr ad ition ▁brought ▁to ▁five ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁accused ▁drug ▁tra ff ick ers ▁sent ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁since ▁ ▁President ▁Vir g ilio ▁Bar co ▁re - est ab lished ▁extr ad ition ▁on ▁August ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁a ▁string ▁of ▁assass in ations ▁attributed ▁to ▁the ▁c oca ine ▁cart els . ▁ ▁Tri al ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁he ▁came ▁to ▁trial ▁during ▁April ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁the ▁pro sec ution ▁charged ▁that ▁Ab ello ▁had ▁under g one ▁pl astic ▁surg ery ▁to ▁alter ▁his ▁appearance , ▁had ▁arranged ▁numerous ▁kill ings ▁in ▁Colombia , ▁and ▁had ▁attempted ▁to ▁b ri be ▁the ▁Colomb ian ▁police ▁who ▁arrested ▁him . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁government , ▁Ab ello ▁was ▁guilty ▁as ▁charged ▁and ▁probably ▁guilty ▁of ▁many ▁other ▁cr imes . ▁Ab ello , ▁however , ▁claimed ▁he ▁is ▁innoc ent , ▁that ▁he ▁is ▁a ▁wealth y ▁cattle ▁ran cher , ▁autom obile ▁im porter , ▁and ▁part - time ▁b ull fig h ter . ▁He ▁also ▁claimed ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁victim ▁of ▁the ▁complement ary ▁interests ▁of ▁a ▁ja iled ▁Colomb ian ▁intent ▁on ▁esc aping ▁pun ishment ▁and ▁a ▁U . S . ▁public ▁pro sec utor ▁intent ▁on ▁showing ▁progress ▁in ▁that ▁country