Colombia’s government has announced a package of measures to strengthen security in municipalities along the border with Ecuador, amid escalating tensions between the two countries over security and trade issues.

According to a statement released by the presidency, the actions include “the deployment of 200 additional National Police officers and 270 soldiers, as well as enhanced maritime and riverine capabilities for territorial control and the fight against drug trafficking.”

The plan also includes technical support for surveillance systems, the deployment of two armored platoons to ensure troop mobility, and meetings aimed at strengthening joint operations by security forces and control at border crossings.

Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez announced the measures, stating that “we will not allow criminal groups seeking to profit from illegal activities such as drug trafficking, illegal mining, extortion and smuggling to affect security indicators.”

He added that security forces have already seized 2.4 tons of drugs and remain deployed in the region “to protect our seas and critically disrupt drug trafficking.”

Context: security and trade tensions

The measures come days before Ecuador’s tariff increase takes effect, raising the so-called “security tariff” on Colombian goods from 50% to 100% starting May 1, 2026.

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa told Revista Semana magazine that the decision is not part of a “trade war” with Colombia but rather reflects the costs of reinforcing border security. “We have to spend twice as much, and it costs $400 million USD more per year to keep our armed forces deployed at the border,” he said.

For its part, Colombia’s government has rejected claims of insufficient action on border security. Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism Diana Marcela Morales Rojas said Colombia has kept diplomatic channels open.

“We have exhausted all diplomatic efforts and maintained open dialogue channels with the Government of Ecuador, seeking a solution that benefits both countries, businesses and, above all, communities on both sides of the border. However, we have not received a positive response,” she said in a statement.

At the same time, Colombia is evaluating its tariff response. Although President Gustavo Petro previously said he would not impose 100% tariffs on Ecuador, a draft update to Decree 170 of 2026 has recently emerged proposing differentiated tariffs of 35%, 50% and 75% on imports from the neighboring country. So far, the proposal has not been signed or officially published.

More information on the trade dispute between Colombia and Ecuador? Read Trade War Between Colombia And Ecuador Escalates, With 50% Tariffs Threatened by Finance Colombia.

Gutiérrez’s communication highlights a public event held on June 21, 2025, in Medellín titled “A Pact for the Urban Peace of Medellín,” which was promoted by the Presidency of the Republic of Colombia. During the event, nine individuals identified as leaders of criminal organizations were brought onto a stage and presented as “peace spokespersons.”

The mayor’s letter notes that these individuals have firm convictions for various crimes, including homicide, narcotics trafficking, forced disappearance, and extortion. Among those present were Juan Carlos Mesa Vallejo, alias “Tom,” and Freyner Alfonso Ramírez García, alias “Pesebré,” both of whom are on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List maintained by the US Department of the Treasury‘s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

Mi carta al FBI, DEA, Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos 🇺🇸 y Embajada 🇺🇸 sobre el “Tarimazo” de Petro en Medellín con los peores criminales. Algunos de ellos en el radar de los Estados Unidos por tráfico de drogas. Son 7 páginas. Adjunto 4. pic.twitter.com/K0ToeAFh6r

— Fico Gutiérrez (@FicoGutierrez) September 25, 2025

The letter also states that the release of these individuals from the Itagüí prison was not authorized by a judge. It further alleges that the release was requested by Senator Isabel Cristina Zuleta López of the Pacto Histórico political coalition. Senator Zuleta defended her actions in a statement to W Radio, asserting that it was “inexplicable” not to include the leaders of the criminal structures in a public dialogue about urban peace, as they had been recognized by the president for such talks.

Criminal Structures and Transnational Ties

The letter details the history of criminal organizations in Medellín, from the Medellín Cartel of the 1980s to modern-day groups. It names several prominent organized crime groups (G.D.O.s), including “El Mesa,” “Los Chatas,” “Pachelly,” and “La Terraza,” stating that they continue to operate international narcotics trafficking networks.
Gutiérrez’s letter alleges that these Colombian criminal structures have alliances with international organizations such as the Tren de Aragua, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, the Sinaloa Cartel (OTCMKTS: SRBAL), and the Albanian Mafia, among others.

Information Leak at the Attorney General’s Office

In his letter, Gutiérrez also raised concerns about alleged irregularities within the Colombian Attorney General’s Office. He claims that an investigation into Juan Pablo Taborda Samora, alias “Yordi,” and Daniel Muñoz Olaya, the son of criminal leader José Leonardo Muñoz Martínez, alias “Douglas,” was compromised. According to the letter, information regarding an impending arrest operation against Daniel Muñoz was allegedly leaked, preventing his capture. This alleged leak informed “Douglas” of the ongoing investigation against his son, allowing them to evade authorities.

Click on images to enlarge and view originals:

Letter from Mayor Federico Gutierrez to the US Government

The mayor states that there are 7 total pages, but he published only these four above, which appear to be redacted.

Page 1

Seal of the Mayor’s Office of Medellín

Mayor’s Office of Medellín District of Science, Technology, and Innovation

Medellín, July 02, 2025.

Respected

United States Department of State, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), US Embassy Bogotá.

Subject: Submission of relevant information regarding the critical security situation and transnational criminality in Medellín, Colombia.

I, Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga, in my capacity as Mayor of the Special District of Science, Technology, and Innovation of Medellín, identified with NIT 890.905.211-1, respectfully address you to express profound institutional concern over recent events that, stemming from the national policy of the current Colombian Government, are allegedly favoring, directly and indirectly, criminal structures that have historically affected the security of both our city and that of its international allies, among them, the United States of America.

As is widely known by the international community, Medellín has a complex history linked to organized crime. Indeed, from the 1980s, when the Medellín Cartel dominated the global drug trade, to the present day, the city has been a strategic hub for transnational criminal activities. The criminal structures that mutated from a centralized model to fragmented yet interconnected networks, such as the self-styled “Oficina de Envigado” and the current Organized Crime Groups (hereinafter G.D.O.) and Organized Common Crime Groups (hereinafter G.D.C.O.), maintain a very high criminal capacity with international reach.

Today, the 10 G.D.O.s present in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley—among them “El Mesa,” “Los Chatas,” “Pachelly,” “La Terraza,” “Robledo,” and “La Sierra”—and G.D.C.O.s such as “San Pablo” and “La Oficina del Doce,” continue to operate international narcotics trafficking networks with destinations primarily in North America and Europe. These structures maintain active alliances with cartels such as the “Tren de Aragua”, “CJNG”, “Sinaloa Cartel”, “Albanian Mafia”, “Choneros”, “Lobos”, “Cartel de los Soles”, “Maras Salvatruchas”, “Ndrangheta”, “Camorra”, among others, which demonstrates the internationalization of their criminal activities.

Despite this grave and evident reality, the current National Government of Colombia, led by President Gustavo Petro Urrego, has promoted a policy that, under the discourse of “Total Peace,” has publicly legitimized criminal leaders with serious judicial records, many of whom are apparently still active in drug trafficking, exploitation of minors and adolescents, arms trafficking, human trafficking, and other illegal revenues of transnational interest.

Thus, on this past June 21, 2025, during the public event called “A Pact for the Urban Peace of Medellín,” which was promoted by the Presidency of the Republic of Colombia, nine (09) of the top leaders of these structures¹, among them individuals included on the OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) List such as Juan Carlos Mesa Vallejo (alias “Tom”) and Freyner Alfonso Ramírez García (alias “Pesebré”), were displayed on stage as “peace spokespersons,” despite having firm convictions for atrocious crimes (such as homicide, narcotics trafficking, use of minors for the commission of crimes, forced disappearance, extortionate kidnapping, extortion, and criminal conspiracy, among other crimes of extreme gravity) and even though, apparently, they continue to control their criminal structures from the penitentiary center where they are imprisoned (particularly, in the Itagüí prison – Antioquia). This event was also attended by the Minister of Justice and Law (Eduardo Montealegre Lynett), the Minister of the Interior (Armando Alberto Benedetti Villaneda), the Minister of National Education (José Daniel Rojas Medellín), the Minister of Labor (Antonio Sanguino Páez), the Minister of Mines and Energy (Edwin Palma Egea), the Minister of Cultures, Arts and Knowledge of Colombia (Yannai Kadamani Fonrodona), Senators of the Republic Isabel Cristina Zuleta López and León Fredy Muñoz Lopera, Representatives to the Chamber for Antioquia Alex Xavier Flórez Hernández and Pedro Baracutao García Ospina, the Representative to the Chamber for Valle del Cauca Alfredo Mondragón Garzón, and the former mayor of Medellín, now charged by the Office of the Attorney General of the Nation for alleged acts of corruption, Daniel Quintero Calle, among others.

Now, this public act signified a grave institutional violation. This, since it was an act of re-victimization for the people affected by these criminal groups, who have seen their victimizers legitimized in a political setting, without authorization from a Judge of the Republic to leave their place of imprisonment, even though they all currently have a final conviction (and it is being served). Likewise, the departure from the prison was supported by a request from the Historic Pact senator, Isabel Zuleta Cristina Zuleta López.

The foregoing raises serious questions about the separation of powers, due process, and the principle of equality before the law, given that, under the current legal framework, there is no legal basis for reaching an agreement with criminal structures, which does not amount to a submission to justice.

Furthermore, the foregoing occurred in a complex context, not only local but also national. This is because there have apparently been undue leaks of sensitive information and possible undue pressure in high-impact processes, namely:

In events surrounding recent procedural actions carried out by the Attorney General’s Office in the country against members of the G.D.O. “La Terraza,” among them Mr. Juan Pablo Taborda Samora, known in criminal jargon as “Yordi” (the top leader and boss of hitmen for said organization), and against Daniel Muñoz Olaya, son of José Leonardo Muñoz Martínez (alias “Douglas”), arrest warrants were issued against them for different crimes which they apparently took part in to integrate said criminal organization, who, according to the Prosecutor’s Office, are involved in money laundering and illicit enrichment. However, despite details of this operation having been filtered by irregular third parties, which could have jeopardized the success of all the captures (apparently alerting the targets before the proceedings began), and compromising the security of the Judicial Police investigators and the designated prosecutor’s office itself.

Indeed, as was evidenced in an extraordinary security meeting held in the District of Medellín this past June 17, 2025 (which included the participation of the Unit Against Organized Crime of the Attorney General’s Office, the National Police, the National Army of Colombia, the Colombian Air Force, and representatives of state intelligence agencies) and in a meeting on June 19, 2025 aimed at conducting a presentation of the balance of operational results by the National Police, it was established that there was a leak of information hours before the operation, since alias “Douglas” had been informed of a respective investigative process against his son and that his capture would be imminent.

As a result of this situation, not only would the capture of Daniel Muñoz Olaya have been prevented (by evading the action of the public force at the time of the execution of the search with (Additional text appears to be missing beyond this point. The mayor states that there are 7 total pages, but he is making public these four, redacted. -Ed.)

FOOTNOTES:

1: In effect, these are José Leonardo Muñoz Martínez (alias Douglas), Juan Carlos Mesa Vallejo (alias Tom), Jorge de Jesús Vallejo Alarcón (alias Vallejo), Juan Camilo Rendón Castro (alias el Saya), Albert Henao Acevedo (alias Albert), Juan Fernando Álvarez (alias Juan XXIII), Walter Román Jiménez (alias el Tigre), Freyner Ramírez García (alias Pesebré), and Dayron Alberto Muñoz Torres (alias El Indio).
Footnote 2 appears to be redacted.

3: Copy of the official letter of transfer for the competence of relevant information filed on June 25, 2025, before the Attorney General’s Office by the Secretary of Security of the District of Science, Technology, and Innovation of Medellín.

4: Copy of the official letter of transfer of relevant information for the pertinent purposes and request for urgent and necessary protection measures filed on June 25, 2025, before the Attorney General’s Office.

5: Copy of a news article published on June 26, 2025, by Revista Semana.

6: World Drug Report 2025 by UNODC: Global instability aggravates the social, economic, and security impact of the global drug phenomenon, published on June 26, 2025, by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

7: Copy of the publication made on July 1, 2025, on the social network “X” by Caracol Radio.

Sincerely,

[Signature]

Federico Andrés Gutiérrez Zuluaga, Mayor of Medellín.

Medellín activates a special force to stop criminals trying to enter as tourists. Photo credit: Medellín Mayor’s Office.

Its main objective is to prevent the entry of undesirable individuals posing as foreign tourists, especially those designated as sexual predators.
The agency is supported by the US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which operates with technological tools such as the National Passenger Assessment System (ENMEC) and the Angel Watch program, designed to identify travelers with criminal records, especially for sexual offenses.

In turn, Colombian Immigration carries out permanent checks at the airport, and if risk profiles are identified, the foreigner will be denied entry, and alerts will be sent to authorities in the country of origin, ensuring coordinated and preventive action.

With this strategy, Medellín reaffirms its commitment as a safe, welcoming, and vigilant tourist destination. Authorities reiterate that the city welcomes with open arms those who come to enjoy the fair, but will act firmly against those who seek to violate its peace. With authority, technology, and international cooperation, the protection of the territory and the safety of local residents and visitors are strengthened.

Photo credit: Medellín Mayor’s Office.

Authorities reinforce control in Lleras Park with an institutional presence. Photo credit: City of Medellín.

During the operations, 247 traffic tickets were issued, and 34 motorcycles, 16 private vehicles, and five taxis were immobilized. In addition, 10 commercial activities were temporarily suspended for regulatory violations. Firefighters inspected 12 establishments, and the Territorial Management and Control Unit inspected another seven. In the area of social distancing, 22 fines were issued for behavior contrary to Law 1801, and knives and psychoactive substances were seized.

Immigration checks were also carried out on 99 foreigners, and 12 fines were issued for violating the decree that penalizes the demand for sexual services. 12 minors, three of whom were transferred to the Protection Transfer Center (CTP), and institutional care was provided to four homeless residents. As part of the judicial response, three arrests were reported for crimes such as personal injury, violence against a public servant, and violations of Law 30.

Medellín authorities in Lleras Park. Photo credit: City of Medellín.

The Mayor’s Office of Medellín reiterates its commitment to the protection and regulation of this tourist corridor, ensuring safe, orderly environments with permanent surveillance for residents and visitors.

Eyewitnesses and published videos show Hernandez displaying erratic behavior. A Daily Mail report states operators of the terminal suspected the individual may have been under the influence of hallucinogenic substances—a claim consistent with the disoriented and unpredictable conduct observed during the altercation. Initial reports stated that Hernandez is a New Yorker, but he claims to hail from the tampa area. Hernandez says the episode started when he removed his shirt because it was hot. Finance Colombia has verified that immigration intake at the Rafael Nuñez International Airport in Cartagena is airconditioned, and no other passengers felt the need to remove their shirts.

Intoxicated American Tourist Disrupts Cartagena Airport, Damages Immigration Booths An intoxicated American, Enmanuel Andrés Hernández, 42, from New York, sparked chaos at Rafael Núñez International Airport in Cartagena, Bolívar, on Colombia’s northern Caribbean coast. On… pic.twitter.com/lnzzhwf6aP

— Cartel Watch (@CartelWatchNet) July 18, 2025

Emmanuel Andrés Hernandez passport. Photo credit: Cartagena Secretary of the Interior.

Airport security and law enforcement personnel intervened, physically restraining Hernández to regain control of the situation. Migración Colombia officials then detained him, conducting standard procedures to determine the extent of the breach regarding public order and safety.

Migración Colombia invoked Article 105 of Decree 1067 of 2015, which permits the forcible removal of non-citizens who pose a threat to public order or institutional security. Under this decree, Hernández was served an expulsion order, placed on a flight back to the United States, and issued a ten-year ban on re-entry to Colombia.
Further, the Mayor’s Office of Cartagena officially condemned the incident, reaffirming the city’s commitment to protecting civil order and institutional respect at all border entry points.

The incident reportedly caused temporary disruptions in immigration processing and alarm among airport personnel and travelers; however, operations returned to normal shortly after security regained control. Authorities have reported no serious damage to structural infrastructure. As can be seen in the video below, Hernandez complains about disrespect from officials and bystanders who started recording him, that they were “violating his privacy,” as though taking off one’s shirt in an airport line is not behavior worth noting.

“What hurts me the most about everything that happened? Being expelled from the country where you spent many years of childhood. Not being able to return to Colombia to hug your parents or perhaps receive forgiveness for your aggressive behavior. What hurts me the most is not seeing my parents in Colombia for 10 years. That really hurts me.”

Hernandez Speaks

Colombian news outlet Impacto News was able to speak with Hernandez, where the traveler laments that after the episode, no airline is willing to transport him back to the US. In the interview, which can be seen below, Hernandez explains that he is from a Colombian family, and was visiting his elderly father. The video shows photos of Hernandez’s family, who had to cut his father’s birthday cake with Hernandez in custody and waiting for expulsion.

” I think it’s that when I took off my shirt, there was an immigration officer or people who were at the airport who started recording me and I told them to please stop, that this was part of my privacy, that they shouldn’t record me, Please don’t record me. And everyone started taking out their cell phones and recording me. And it wasn’t the people who were in the line, it was the people who work for immigration. Who work for the government. Instead of helping me and asking me how I was, they started recording me and that was my reaction because it’s my privacy and it broke my heart that no. If I’m feeling bad, if you’re feeling bad, seriously, Sir, I see you on the street. I try to help you. I don’t try to bring you down or humiliate you or make you feel less. That’s logical. That’s what one expects from a person, especially an official, a person who works for the Colombian government, any government in the world, you know what I mean? And that’s why, and if you watch the sequence of videos, there’s a part where I’m laughing that there hadn’t been any commotion yet and nothing had happened. I was laughing because he was recording me and I told him please don’t record me anymore. I was saying please don’t record me anymore, please don’t record me. Very disrespectful. It’s disrespectful that you record me. And he understood me and I asked him several times. And I think it’s something that, uh, everyone takes out their cell phone to record, but no one reaches out to help right now.”

While violent episodes involving foreign visitors at airports are rare in Colombia, and no charges related to illegal drug use have been leveled against Mr. Hernandez, the government cautions against the potential legal and safety risks linked to visitors consuming psychoactive substances—often without understanding their effects or legal status. In response, Migración Colombia emphasizes that it continues to reinforce protocols to manage disruptive travelers and safeguard public safety.

Emmanuel Andrés Hernandez. Photo credit: Cartagena Secretary of the Interior.

✈️ Expulsan a turista que protagonizó acto violento en aeropuerto de Cartagena.

🇺🇸 El ciudadano estadounidense agredió a funcionarios y causó destrozos. Migración Colombia ordenó su salida.

🗣️ “Cartagena se respeta”, dijo el secretario del Interior, Bruno Hernández. pic.twitter.com/I8xfExYoei

— Red+ Noticias (@RedMasNoticias) July 19, 2025

President Petro stated that the drug traffickers have acquired two missiles with the intent to “bring down” the presidential plane. He attributed this threat to his administration’s intensified actions against narcotics organizations involved in cocaine production and trafficking. However, he did not provide specific evidence or identify the groups responsible for the alleged plot.

The wild claim came during the appointment ceremony of new National Police head, Brigadier General Carlos Fernando Triana.

Petro insists his administration is taking action against narcotraffickers, though cocaine production is at an all time high under his administration, and armed rebel groups such as the ELN and dissidents of the former FARC who rejected the 2016 peace accords are regrouping and reinvigorated under Petro’s administration. Petro, an ex rebel himself, ran on a platform of “Total Peace,” promising to negotiate with these groups, but instead, they have stepped up attacks, leading to a humanitarian crisis in the northeast region of Catatumbo, and this week, an armed curfew in the Pacific department of Chocó was imposed by communist rebel group ELN, where guerillas have forced all businesses to shut down, demonstrating the dominance of the guerillas over the impotent presence of the national government in the region.

Colombia remains the world’s leading producer of cocaine, with various guerrilla groups, criminal bands, and both national and international cartels engaged in the drug trade. This illicit industry has fueled a six-decade-long internal conflict, resulting in over 450,000 deaths and millions of displaced individuals. In 2024, Colombian security forces seized a record 883.8 metric tons of cocaine, surpassing the previous year’s figure of 746.3 tons. The United Nations reported that coca cultivation covered 253,000 hectares in the country during the same period.

This is not the first time President Petro has reported threats against his life. Since his election in 2022, he has mentioned multiple assassination plots, including a supposed plan involving explosives at a public event, as informed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Additionally, he has accused groups such as the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) of attempting to kill him. These allegations have been met with skepticism by opposition figures, who describe them as incendiary, lacking in evidence, and perhaps an attempt to one-up the attack on the presidential helicopter during the term of previous President Ivan Duque, by small arms fire from a criminal group in Cúcuta, the nearest city to the troubled Catatumbo region,

The recent claim adds to a series of challenges faced by President Petro’s administration, including internal disputes and controversies involving close associates. These issues have exposed fractures within the government, raising concerns about its stability and effectiveness, negatively affecting foreign direct investment (FDI).

The appointment of General Triana

Petro’s comments overshadowed the theme of the gathering, the appointment of Brigadier General Carlos Fernando Triana as the new director of Colombia’s National Police, succeeding General William René Salamanca. The transition occurred amid ongoing security challenges in the country, including a notable increase in homicides, particularly in Bogotá.

General Triana has over 30 years of experience within the National Police, having held various administrative and strategic positions. Notably, he served as the director of the Retirement Pay Fund (Caja de Sueldos de Retiro) and has been recognized for his commitment to institutional integrity and public service.

The change in leadership aligns with a series of adjustments within the upper echelons of the government, as directed by President Petro. General Salamanca, who had returned from retirement to assume directorship in April 2023, departs amidst these strategic shifts.

During the ceremony, President Petro highlighted the critical role of the National Police in addressing the nation’s security issues, and emphasized the importance of leadership in implementing effective strategies to combat crime and ensure public safety.

General Triana’s appointment comes at a time when the National Police are intensifying efforts to tackle various security concerns, including operations targeting extortion schemes orchestrated from within the prison system. In December 2024, a significant operation led to the arrest of eight individuals, among them six guards from the National Penitentiary and Prison Institute (INPEC), underscoring the ongoing challenges within Colombia’s correctional facilities.

As General Triana assumes his new role, the focus remains on enhancing the effectiveness of the National Police in safeguarding citizens and upholding the rule of law across Colombia.

Headline photo: Presidency of The Republic

In a coordinated operation between the Medellín Mayor’s Office, the National Police, and the Attorney General’s Office, 17 members of the “Los Peludos” (The Furries) Common Organized Criminal Group (COCG) were arrested. The arrests, carried out in Medellín and the northern suburb of Bello, were the result of 19 raids.

This criminal group operated under the control of the “Chatas” Organized Criminal Group (COCG), engaging in illicit activities such as monopolizing food products and propane gas. In addition, they extorted merchants, farmers, and informal vendors, demanding monthly payments ranging from $100,000 USD to $20 million USD, severely impacting the local economy.

The main leader of this criminal organization is known as “Ears” (Orejas), who has a criminal record and is currently under electronic surveillance for illicit activities related to the monopoly. It is estimated that the criminal revenues generated by “Los Peludos” reached $1.8 billion USD per month, highlighting the significant economic impact of this organization.

The Furry Gang confiscated bullets and cell phones. Photo credit: Colombia National Police.

Photo credit: Colombia National Police.

The first arrest involved an individual known as “El Mexicano,” who had been operating in Medellín for over four years. He was apprehended at the Milla de Oro shopping center, following a joint operation by the Medellín City Hall, the National Police of Colombia, and Mexico’s Federal Police. “El Mexicano,” who presented himself as a businessman in Parque Lleras, allegedly recruited women under false pretenses, subjecting them to human trafficking for sexual exploitation.

Authorities revealed that this individual resided in the affluent El Poblado neighborhood and possessed armored vehicles and assets valued at over $8 billion COP. His criminal activities spanned multiple regions, including Medellín, Bogotá, and Valle del Cauca in Colombia, as well as Cancún and Mérida in Mexico. The operation to dismantle his network took over 90 days, during which investigators uncovered how victims were deceived with false promises, coerced into signing exploitative contracts in Mexico, and stripped of their identification documents.

“El Mexicano” is currently in the custody of Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office, pending extradition to Mexico, where he faces charges related to aggravated human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

In a separate incident, a Peruvian national residing in the United States was arrested at José María Córdova International Airport. The arrest was part of an ongoing initiative against the sexual exploitation of minors, coordinated by the Medellín City Hall, the Metropolitan Police of the Aburrá Valley, the Attorney General’s Office, and Migration Colombia, with support from the U.S. Embassy’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit.

This individual is accused of exploiting several minors in Medellín’s Belén neighborhood. He reportedly used digital platforms to rent accommodations where he conducted illicit activities. Investigators seized two mobile phones from the suspect, which are expected to provide crucial evidence of his communications with victims. The suspect allegedly targeted economically vulnerable girls aged 14 and 15 between 2022 and 2023, offering payments ranging from $150,000 to $300,000 COP for their exploitation.

The Peruvian national has been charged by the Attorney General’s Office with sexual exploitation and commercial exploitation of minors. To date, eight foreign nationals have been arrested in 2024 on similar charges.

Medellín’s Mayor Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga emphasized that the city will not serve as a refuge for criminals. He affirmed the city’s commitment to working with international partners like Interpol to ensure continued efforts against these crimes. “Medellín is not a haven for criminals. Anyone who comes here with the intent to break the law will be apprehended,” stated Gutiérrez.

The recent arrests highlight the city’s ongoing struggle against human trafficking and sexual exploitation, as authorities seek to safeguard vulnerable communities from such transnational crimes.

According to the witness,

“I saw Jesse Wiseman (you have a blue alert out for him) on VIA Rail Train 2 vancouver to winnipeg on February 21st in Winnipeg, MB Canada. He’s wanted for the murder of a 20-year-old women (sic) Laura Lopera in Colombia earlier this month and fled the country, and you have a blue notice out for him. He punched me in the head on the train and was kicked off the train and taken in by Winnipeg police but released yesterday. He was heading to Toronto. I have video of him on the train.”

Finance Colombia immediately turned over all dialogue and the witness’ personal contact information to the Colombian National Police and the Canadian Embassy in Bogotá.

“Yeah he was travelling vancouver to Toronto, Feb 19-23 but got kicked off in Winnipeg on Feb 21 after he punched me. The staff said he wouldn’t be let back on a train for at least a month after this. The police put him in the drunk tank for the night and is now released. They wouldn’t give me any other information outside of this and he was def not mentally stable from having dinner with him…Other passengers said he spent most of the trip in his train cabin and was acting weird. It’s also odd cause these tickets are $2000 a piece so why would you get kicked off the train and punch somebody. Doesn’t make sense.” 

Wiseman is wanted in Colombia for the murder on February 10 of Laura Lopera in the downtown Medellín neighborhood known as “Boston.” According to Colombian prosecutors, Lopera’s body was found stuffed inside of a suitcase. Wiseman had already left the country on a flight to Guatemala before authorities began to pursue him. From Guatemala he was said to have flown to Turkiye, and now has reportedly turned up in his home country of Canada.

The witness submitted the above video, claiming that he ended up in an altercation with the suspect. The killing has caused outrage in the country and drawn comparisons to last year’s murder of Valentina Trespalacios, whose dismembered body was discovered in Bogotá in similarly grisly circumstances. US Citizen John Poulos is facing 50 years for the murder and dismemberment of Trespalacios, who was also found in a suitcase in Bogotá.

Finance Colombia is reporting on the claims made by the witness in this instance and welcomes any corrections, amplifications or clarifications.

President Petro wrote on his Twitter account: “I wish my son luck and strength. May these events build his character, and may he reflect on his mistakes…As a person and father, it hurts to see so much self-destruction.” 

When the scandal was brought into the open last March, Petro distanced himself from his son, claiming not to have raised him and disavowed knowledge of his actions in a news interview. Daysuris Vásquez at the time accused Nicolás Petro of receiving narcotrafficking money during his father’s political campaign on Colombia’s Caribbean coast last year.

The arrest results from charges leveled by Nicolas Petro’s ex-wife, who accused him of taking narcotics money in the name of his father’s campaign, then keeping the cash for himself.

According to President Petro, he was an active insurgent, hiding and fighting in the ranks of the guerrilla group M-19 (an acronym for the 19th of April Movement), which kept him away from his son, as he explained in the interview to Cambio.

Along with Nicolás Petro’s detention, the Attorney General’s Office stated through a press release that Daysuris Vásquez was indicted for money laundering and personal data violations in actions that occurred since 2022. 

The ex wife of Petro’s oldest son affirmed that he received the illicit campaign funds but did not hand it over to the campaign team, and instead he squandered it on luxury goods. In the most serious allegations against him, she assured that the resources were provided by the well-known drug lord, Samuel Santander Lopesierra, who goes by the nickname “Marlboro Man.”

Vásquez attested that the delinquent allegedly donated $124,000 USD to Petro’s campaign. Santander Lopesierra was incarcerated in a US jail for 18 years after being convicted of drug trafficking. Meanwhle, Gustavo Petro has repeatedly denied any kind of illegitimate connection.

Guido Hurtado, a researcher and political analyst in Cali, in the southwest of Colombia, a region that heavily favored Petro’s presidential election, sought to defend the Petro family, opining to Finance Colombia that “it is undoubtedly a political persecution but adjusted to the law. They disguised behind the law’s actuation that government pursuit. They do not apply the law this way to all the people.”

On the other hand, the same prosecutor’s office has active charges against Uribe protegé and former Vice President Oscar Ivan Zuluaga, and it was Nicolas Petro’s own ex-wife who first denounced him for the alleged corruption with which he is charged. Furthermore, President Petro himself demanded an investigation into any wrongdoing by his son. It was this very investigation that led to today’s charges.

Nicolás Petro and his resumé of controversies

The first wife of Gustavo Petro, Katia Burgos, is the mother of the president ‘s eldest son, Nicolás Petro Burgos. Nicolas studied law at the Pontificia Universidad Bolivariana and later obtained a master’s degree in climate change from an Ibero-American university, and a master’s degree in government and public management for Latin America at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, Spain. He lived several years in Barranquilla (Atlántico Department’s capital), one of the bigger cities in the north of Colombia.

Likewise, he pursued the political career of his father and ran for the governorship of Atlántico in 2018, being defeated by Elsa Noguera, which led —thanks to the opposition statute— to his occupying a seat in the Department’s Assembly —in practice, a collegial body that functions as a regional congress.

The dauphin has been in the eye of the storm several times. On January 5, 2023, Musa Abraham Besaile Flórez, son of a former senator who is being prosecuted for parapolitics —politicians who had secret ties with illegal armed groups that operated as private armies and fought the guerrilla troops—published a photo on his social networks together with Petro Burgos. At the time, he was showered with criticism for his questionable alliances.

Nicolas Petro was also sanctioned in December 2022 by the National Electoral Council (CNE) after two years of investigation for possible irregularities in the campaign to reach the governorship of Atlántico. And a sentence was imposed on him that forced Petro Burgos to pay a fine of approximately $3,800 USD.

Above photo: (l-r) Nicolas Petro, Day Vasquez, Gustavo Petro (photo: Petro presidential campaign)