Washington ( CNN ) -- An alleged Colombian rebel whom U.S. authorities accuse of holding three Americans hostage pleaded not guilty Monday . Alexander Beltran Herrera , 35 , was arraigned Monday on charges connected with the imprisonment of U.S. citizens Marc Gonsalves , Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell . Alleged leftist guerrillas with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia , or FARC , abducted the three U.S. defense contractors in 2003 , the Justice Department said . They were among 15 hostages freed in a 2008 rescue mission . For part of a two-year period beginning in November 2004 , Beltran Herrera was responsible for moving the hostages and keeping them imprisoned , the Justice Department said in a statement released Monday . `` Throughout the captivity of these three hostages , FARC jailors and guards , including Beltran Herrera , used choke harnesses , chains , padlocks and wires to restrain the hostages , and used force and threats to continue their detention and prevent their escape , '' the statement said . U.S. authorities announced Beltran Herrera 's extradition Monday . He arrived in the United States over the weekend . On Monday , prosecutors described Beltran Herrera as a `` fairly high ranking '' member of the FARC . A federal indictment charges him with one count of conspiracy to commit hostage taking , three counts of hostage taking , one count of using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence , one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization . He would face a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted of the charges . Beltran Herrera appeared in court Monday wearing an orange jumpsuit . He did not speak during his arraignment and needed a translator 's help to understand the proceedings . A court-appointed defense attorney entered his not guilty plea . The indictment names 17 other accused members of the FARC as defendants . Prosecutors said those suspects are still at large . The United States first designated the FARC as a foreign terrorist organization in 1997 and renewed that designation in 2005 , the indictment says . The FARC have been at war with the Colombian government since the 1960s . While severely weakened in recent years , the guerrilla group has continued to carry out kidnappings and attack security forces . Beltran Herrera 's extradition `` underscores our resolve to hold accountable all those responsible for this crime and we will not rest until every one of them is brought to justice , '' said Lisa Monaco , assistant attorney general for national security , in a written statement . The Colombian military rescued Gonsalves , Howes and Stansell in a high-profile helicopter mission in July 2008 . Colombian commandos posed as humanitarian aid workers to free the group , which also included former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and 11 Colombian police and military members . CNN 's Carol Cratty and Catherine E. Shoichet contributed to this report .
NEW : An alleged leftist rebel pleads not guilty to holding Americans hostage . Alexander Beltran Herrera is extradited from Colombia to face charges in Washington . Score: 7 Justice Department : Beltran Herrera is accused member of the FARC rebel group .