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World Cup Fever Leads To Arrest Of Colombian Rebel

Juggling in the jungle
Juggling in the jungle
Alidad Vassigh

BOGOTA — Blame it on Rio.

Colombia officials arrested one of the country's most sought-after leftist rebels after noticing an enormous satellite dish he had installed on his jungle hideout so he could watch the World Cup, Spanish news agency EFE and Colombian media reported.

No civil war was going to deprive the 15-year veteran of the marxist National Liberation Army (ELN) of watching the epic soccer tournament — including Colombia's own match against Greece. So the guerrilla member, known as El Mocho or Elkin, "skipped all the security protocols" and had a dish installed whose "size caught the attention of authorities," Bogotá"s Radio Santa Fe reported.

Law enforcement officials began to investigate the house — located in Morales, within the Bolívar region — after a tip from a member of the chief's entourage who had been ordered to bring him food, women and booze on a regular basis, EFE reported.

The guerilla chief was arrested, and police found arms and communication equipment in the house. Alas, it wasn't the kind of score El Mocho was hoping for.

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