Authorities say they caught an attorney with Colombia's special peace tribunal taking money to influence the controversial decision of whether or not to extradite a top rebel peace negotiator detained on drug charges.

The office of Colombia's chief prosecutor announced Friday that Carlos Bermeo and four other suspects were captured at two hotels north of Bogota.

Bermeo was allegedly arrested "in the moment" he and the others were receiving $500,000 in relation to the case against Seuxis Hernandez.

Hernandez is best known by his alias Jesus Santrich and was charged last year with conspiring to smuggle several tons of cocaine into the U.S.

A spokesman for the special peace tribunal says Bermeo works in an investigations unit that has no role in weighing extradition requests.