In a transnational operation called ‘First Punch’, the Office of the Attorney General, through the Antinarcotis Support Group (Grupo de Apoyo a Estupefacientes in Spanish) of the Technical Investigative Corps (CTI) (Cuerpo Técnico de Investigación (CTI) in Spanish) in coordination with the anti-drug agency DEA and the support of units of the Seventh Division of the National Army arrested Fabio de Jesús Yepes and Mario Alberto Zapata Vélez, two alleged members of a drug trafficking network to the service of a criminal structure known as ‘La Oficina’.
These people are wanted by the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts for money laundering, extortion and criminal activities.
During the arrests carried out in Envigado (Antioquia), the investigators seized a 9 mm pistol with three magazines and 80 bullets, an armored vest, a handgun with 25 cartridges, a lot of documents and communication equipment.
According to the United States request for extradition, Fabio de Jesús Yepes would be the leader of a criminal network responsible for laundering money, extorting and trafficking drugs to North America and Europe; while Mario Alberto Zapata Vélez, is allegedly his main accomplice in the illegal activities.
The two arrested people were placed under the authority of the Attorney General.
Through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the United States Embassy will be informed on the matter to conduct the formal extradition request within the terms established in the legal system.
As part of the ‘First Punch’ operation, two other people, a Colombian and a Guatemalan citizen, were arrested in Boston (United States). Allegedly, they were liaisons of the drug trafficking network ‘La Empresa’ and were in charge of distributing the illegal substance in that country and sending money to Colombia derived from criminal negotiations.
The Office of the Attorney General makes this information public for reasons of general interest.