Arrested eight alleged members of ELN structures linked to the financing and execution of the attack against the police academy Escuela de Cadetes General Santander

The evidence collected in a joint work between the Office of the Attorney General and the National Police allowed the prosecution of eight people who participated in the terrorist attack against the police academy Escuela de Cadetes Francisco de Paula Santander in the south area of the city.

The evidence shows that the defendants would be part of two ELN structures: the fronts Frente de Guerra Oriental and Frente de Guerra Urbana which played different roles in the attack that caused the death of 22 cadets and injured 89 people on January 17, 2019.

Planning and execution

For the alleged responsibility for the planning and execution of the attack, a prosecutor from the Special Office against Criminal Organizations charged: 

• Andrés Felipe Oviedo Espinel, alias Jesús or Barbas, who allegedly received direct instructions from the ELN Central Command (Comando Central COCE) to plan the attack against the academy. He was charged with murder of a protected person and attempted murder of a protected person, both of them, with a series of similar crimes, terrorism and rebellion. There is also evidence against this person that shows that he would be involved in the detonation of explosive devices against two headquarters of the pension fund Porvenir in Bogotá (Calle 72 and Puente Aranda), on July 2, 2015.

• Angie Lorena Solano Cortés, alias Maco, is accused of accompanying the car bomb that was detonated inside the police academy while driving a motorcycle. She was charged with murder of a protected person, attempted murder of a protected person, acts of terrorism and rebellion. There is evidence that would link the woman to the so-called National Urban Front (Frente Urbano Nacional) and that shows she would have participated in some meetings held by the ELN in Venezuela.
   
• Carlos Arturo Marín Ríos, alias Marín, who was charged with terrorism. He allegedly accompanied the car bomb while he was driving a motorcycle.
  
  
• Jessica Catherine Barrientos Castilla, aka Jessica, would be a member of the Finance Commission of the ELN Front known as Frente de Guerra Oriental del ELN. She was charged with financing terrorism and acts of terrorism, and rebellion.
  
  
• Miguel Antonio Castillo Rodríguez, alias Toño, owner of two cheese production and distribution companies located in Arauca and Bogotá that allegedly helped to finance the criminal action. He was charged with financing terrorism, rebellion, and acts of terrorism.