International Jewel Thief Captured In Colombia

Last week, Colombia’s investigative police, the CTI (analogous to the FBI in the US) announced the arrest of French fugitive Florentino Gomes, who had been sought on a global Interpol red notice. Gomes is wanted for armed robbery in France.

In 2011, French authorities say that Gomes, armed with a rifle and tear gas, stole 92,000 euros worth of jewelry in one incident in Ormesson sur Marne, France, and in another incident stole over 300,000 euros of jewels and stones in Arcueil, France.

According to Colombian prosecutors, Gomes arrived in the country in 2020, and attempting to hide from international law enforcement, in January he applied for Colombian permanent residency using  false documents, which led to the investigation resulting in his capture.

Gomes was captured in the El Poblado neighborhood of Medellín, popular with international tourists and expatriates. Prosecutors say he had been traveling back and forth to Brazil and had been communicating with narcotics mafias in the neighboring country.

The prosecutor’s office says it will work with the French government to arrange for extradition.

El extranjero fue localizado en el sector de El Poblado en Medellín (Antioquia). El procedimiento hace parte del Acuerdo de Cooperación y Ubicación de Fugitivos Internacionales suscrito entre la Fiscalía y la Agencia U.S. Marshals del Departamento de Justicia de Estados Unidos. pic.twitter.com/ZuCq0fxyiF

— Fiscalía Colombia (@FiscaliaCol) March 18, 2022