Carlos Jimenez arrives for a court hearing in Medellin, Colombia, 12 June 2007

Colombia has extradited right-wing paramilitary leader Carlos Jimenez to the United States to face drug charges.

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe's office says Jimenez was flown to Washington Wednesday after Colombia's Supreme Judicial Council overturned a previous court decision that had blocked the extradition.

Jimenez, also known as "Macaco (monkey)," faces charges of drug trafficking, money laundering and financing terrorist groups.

Colombia is engaged in a peace process with right-wing militias. Thousands of paramilitaries have surrendered their weapons in the deal that includes an agreement for them not to be extradited.

However, the government stripped Jimenez of that benefit because it said he continued to order crimes from his jail cell.

The U.S. Treasury Department has called Jimenez one of Colombia's most dangerous narcotics traffickers.

Some information for this report was provided by and Reuters.