Colombia officials blush on mafia security snafu

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombian authorities were left red-faced on Friday trying to explain why they picked up the wrong prisoner in a high-security transfer of a top druglord to a ship at sea in an attempt to better protect him.

Helicopters and troops mobilized to transfer suspected druglord Diego "Don Diego" Montoya along with a former paramilitary commander, Carlos Jimenez, from their prison cells to Navy ships after learning about death threats.

But instead of picking up Diego Montoya, prison authorities moved Diego "Don Berna" Murillo to Bogota from Combita jail. Murillo is another former paramilitary commander jailed under a peace deal with President Alvaro Uribe.

"I don't think we can qualify it as chaos. That would not be appropriate. But it was an error because there was an order to transfer Diego Montoya and they understood Diego Murillo," Interior Minister Carlos Holguin told local radio. "It was a mistake in interpretation."

Authorities returned Murillo to Combita and on Friday began moving Montoya to a ship patrolling in Pacific waters. Ex-paramilitary commander Jimenez, alias "Macaco", was sent to another Colombian vessel.

Montoya, suspected leader of the violent Norte del Valle cartel, was captured this week cowering under leaves in his underwear.

Aided by billions in U.S. funds, Uribe has led a security crackdown to reduce violence from Colombia's drug-fueled conflict. But the country remains the world's top cocaine producer and the rebels are still fighting in rural areas.