Former Premier League midfielder Jhon Viafara has been arrested in Colombia for allegedly smuggling four tonnes of cocaine into the United States.
The ex-Southampton and Portsmouth star, 40, is suspected of being a member of a drug cartel.
He was detained in Cali after a joint operation by local authorities and the American Drug Enforcement Administration.
Local reports state that Viafara sent narcotics to the USA using speed boats and semi-submersibles with the help of the Cal del Golfo – one of the most powerful cartels in Colombia.
The packages were transported from the southern Pacific coast of Colombia into Central America and then onto US soil.
Viafara was arrested alongside four others and the US is appealing for the five suspects to be extradited as they are wanted for drug trafficking between 2008 and 2018 by the State of Texas District Court.
Viafara spent half a season at Fratton Park before his brief Portsmouth career came to an end when Harry Redknapp arrived as manager.
He played 76 league matches for Southampton and earned 34 international caps for Colombia between 2003 and 2010.
The midfielder, who won the Copa Libertadores with Once Caldas in 2004, retired from professional football in 2015.