( CNN ) -- Venezuelan authorities have arrested a key ideological leader of the FARC leftist guerrilla group who is known as `` The Singer '' for his role as a musician promoting the rebel movement , officials said Wednesday . A Venezuelan government operation Tuesday captured Guillermo Enrique Torres , Colombia 's president said . `` Today he is in custody and ( Venezuelan ) President ( Hugo ) Chavez has told us that he will be handed over to us , '' Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said . CNN affiliate Caracol TV reported that Torres , 57 , became famous `` because he always carried on his shoulder , next to his rifle , a guitar . '' Several online video posts purport to show Torres , who is also known by the alias Julian Conrado , wearing military fatigues and cradling a guitar . In one , he sings about why he decided to become a guerrilla , and vows to continue fighting for the FARC `` until death , for justice and peace , which is what I want . '' Santos described Torres as a `` narco-terrorist '' when announcing the arrest Wednesday . The U.S. State Department had offered a $ 2.5 million reward for information leading to his capture , describing Torres as a leader who had helped set and implement cocaine policies for the guerrilla group . Rebels from the left-wing Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia , commonly known as the FARC , have fought to overthrow the Colombian government for decades . Authorities allege that Torres was a part of the inner circle of FARC leader Luis Edgar Devia Silva -- known as Raul Reyes -- who was killed in a 2008 raid in Ecuador . Shortly after the raid , Colombian authorities announced that Torres had also been killed in the operation . They later retracted that statement , saying DNA tests showed that another man had been killed . Venezuela 's justice ministry confirmed Torres ' detention in a statement Wednesday . His arrest comes amid improving relations between the neighboring South American countries . Tensions had flared between the two nations after Colombia accused Venezuela of harboring members of the FARC . But shortly after his inauguration last year , Santos met with Chavez and pledged to wipe the slate clean . In April Venezuelan authorities arrested Joaquin Perez Becerra , whom Colombian authorities accuse of conspiring in and helping finance terrorism through his alleged work as a spokesman for the FARC in Europe . And in May Colombian authorities extradited to Venezuela Walid Makled Garcia , accused of being one of the world 's top drug lords . In a Twitter post Wednesday , Santos praised Chavez for helping capture Torres . A statement on the Colombian president 's website noted that `` the collaboration of the Venezuelan government is going to help the ( Colombian ) Armed Forces be much more effective than they have been . ''
Colombia 's president says Guillermo Enrique Torres was captured Tuesday . Authorities call him an ideological leader of the FARC , noting his songs promoting the group . The U.S. State Department had offered a $ 2.5 million reward for help capturing Torres . The arrest comes amid improving relations between Venezuela and Colombia .