6 in Fla. charged in weapons, drug smuggling case

MIAMI – A Nicaraguan man and five others are charged in Miami with plotting to smuggle automatic rifles, grenade launchers and other military gear to a Colombian paramilitary group.

Prosecutors said Wednesday the suspects sought to provide weapons to undercover agents posing as members of the Colombian paramilitary group AUC, an acronym for its Spanish name. The U.S. lists the AUC as a terrorist organization.

The Nicaraguan leader was identified as 53-year-old Franklin William McField-Bent. All six are jailed in Colombia and will be extradited to face U.S. charges, which include cocaine trafficking used to finance weapons purchases.

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration.