In a joint action between the Office of the Attorney General and the National Police, four alleged members of the criminal organization “Los Costeños” were arrested. 

From the moment that a grenade attack that took place in a commercial area downtown Barranquilla (Atlántico) was informed, the Attorney General, Francisco Barbosa Delgado, prioritized the investigation and he appointed a special team to clarify what happened. 

In 12 hours, the group made up of prosecutors and investigators from the Sectional Office in Atlántico and personnel from the National Police identified the alleged perpetrators of this criminal action. 

Based on the technical evidence and the evidence collected, arrest warrants were obtained against four alleged members of the criminal organization ‘Los Costeños’. These took place in search warrants carried out in two buildings in neighborhood San Roque in Barranquilla. 

Three (3) cell phones and 2 firearms were seized, a motorcycle was immobilized, and 4 intimidating pamphlets were found. 

The arrested people are known as ‘Caracas’, ‘El Peluquero’, ‘Antoni’ and ‘Cristian’. The four individuals will be brought before a supervisory judge and the Office of the Attorney General will charge them with conspiracy to commit a crime with intent to commit murder; terrorism; manufacture, trafficking and possession of firearms, ammunition for restricted use, for the exclusive use of the Armed Forces or explosives; extortion; and attempted murder 

Also, against alias Caracas there is evidence that involves him in the crime of a merchant which took place on December 18 in a casino downtown Barranquilla. He had a valid arrest warrant for this case. 

Thanks to the jointed investigative capacities of the Office of the Attorney General of the Nation and the National Police, it was established that the alleged perpetrators of the attack would be alias Cachete or El Viejo; and alias Tommy Masacre or JJ, the alleged leaders of ‘Los Costeños’, deprived of their liberty in the prison Tramacua in Valledupar (Cesar). 

Tommy Yoel Zerpa Brito, alias Tommy Masacre, was sentenced to 37 years and 6 months in prison in November 2020 for the murder of the storekeeper Gerardo Reyes Vega, who was killed for failing to pay an extortion on February 27, 2020. 

In this way, the commitment to act rapidly and in a comprehensive manner to clarify the behaviors that affect the tranquility and public safety is reaffirmed, as contemplated in the Strategic Direction 2020-2024 of the Attorney General, Francisco Barbosa Delgado. 

The Office of the Attorney General makes this information public for reasons of general interest. 

When we speak, results follow