U.S. Grand Jury Indicts FARC Leader for Hostage-Taking of Three U.S. Citizens

"On August 1, 2008, a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. indicted Hely Mejia Mendoza, also known as Martin Sombra, on seven counts of terrorism and weapons charges arising out of his participation in the hostage-taking of three U.S. citizens, Marc Gonsalves,, Keith Stansell and Thomas Howes, in the Republic of Colombia. Members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) had held the three former hostages in the Colombian jungle held the three former hostages for over five years. Sombra, 55, is charged 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, and two counts of providing material support to terrorists and a designated foreign terrorist organization. Sombra, if he is convicted of these charges, would face a maximum term of 60 years of imprisonment, which is the maximum sentence allowed under Colombian law for Colombian nationals extradited to the U.S. for prosecution...[more]"