Police capture suspected Clan del Golfo leader in Chocó, Colombia

Members of the Police Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Interpol (Dijín), in coordination with the National Army and the Colombian Attorney General’s Office, have managed to capture this Thursday an alleged leader of the Clan del Golfo in the municipality of Condoto, in the Colombian department of Chocó.

“The captured man is allegedly in charge of leading criminal activities related to selective homicides and extortion in Condoto and surrounding areas,” the Colombian police said, adding that the man has been handed over to the Attorney General’s Office, as reported by ‘Semana’.

“In the jurisdiction of commune 18, located in carrera 81 with calle 5, patrolling, we observed a citizen moving on a red motorcycle with a suspicious attitude. We signaled him to stop, but he ignored and fled,” police reports said after the operation that led to the capture of the alleged ringleader.

The detainee had in his possession ten mortar shells when he was captured This type of ammunition is the one allegedly used in the terrorist attack against a station in the department of Cesar last Tuesday night, in which three uniformed officers were wounded.

The alleged ringleader has been arrested for crimes of homicide, arms trafficking, and for being the alleged perpetrator of the murder of Jonathan Dario Saldarriaga on March 19 in Condoto.

The Colombian government announced Thursday security measures in the face of a possible “armed strike” by the Clan del Golfo in Sucre, Bolivar, Cordoba, Antioquia and Cesar.

Colombia’s Minister of Defense, Diego Molano, has warned that the Clan del Golfo is planning an “armed strike” and, therefore, has announced “the arrival of 800 men to these departments, specifically to be present in the most affected municipalities, to contribute to the prevention and protection of police facilities”, as reported by the Colombian newspaper ‘El País’.

Likewise, Molano has specified that from Friday 350 Army men will arrive, especially for the south of the department of Cesar and the south of Bolivar, and on the part of the Marines there will be 650 additional men, who will work in the Mojana Sucreña and in the Montes de Maria.

On the other hand, the head of the Defense portfolio has informed of a reward of up to 500 million pesos –about 110,000 euros– for information leading to the capture of ‘Chirimoya’, ‘Champeta’, ‘Veterino’, ‘Ricardo’ or ‘Zapata’, ‘Jerónimo’ or ‘Tigre’ and ‘Manatí’, members of the Gulf Clan and material and intellectual authors of the criminal acts against the Security Forces.