Supervisory Judges in Barranquilla and Villavicencio have ordered precautionary measure against Hugo Alberto Góngora Pérez, alias “Mano Negra” (black hand); Rafael Hernando Suárez, alias “La Chata”(snub nosed); Donny Manuel García Palencia, alias “El Flaco” (skinny) and Deisy María Mercado de Alba, alias “La Gorda” (the fat) for the offences of the use of persons under 18 years of age in the commission of a series of similar crimes and conspiracy to commit crimes.
The four indicated members of Bacrim del Erpac and Los Rastrojos gang were captured by the Childhood and Adolescence Criminal Investigation Units of the National Police and the National Unit against Emerging Gangs of the Colombia’s Attorney General Office during the operation “Caza Lobos” (hunting wolves), in the course of the last month.
At least, based on evidences, alias “Mano Negra” (black hand) was charged with counts of 29 illegal recruitments of minors carried out in the Department of Meta for Erpac; while alias “La Chata” (snub-nosed), el “Flaco” (skinny) and “La Gorda” (the fat) were charged with counts of illegal recruitment in the Department of Atlántico for “Los Rastrojos” criminal gang.
Regarding Erpac, Pérez Góngora would have used a front community security company in order to approach to minors by tricks and moved them to the Department of Vichada.
The other three involved in the crime attracted minors by invitations to parties in Barranquilla city, where they recruited them and immediately afterwards they gave them out to “Los Rastrojos” gang in Córdoba, Sucre, Atlántico and Magdalena.
Between 2004 and 2012, 61 children and adolescents have been disassociated themselves from these criminal gangs. This fact registers: boys 81.9 percent and girls between the ages of 12 and 17 years, 18.10 per cent. This young people were linked to programs of specialized care for the restoration of their rights within the national family welfare system.