10 alleged members of the Farc dissent of the 33rd front were arrested. Some of these people allegedly participated in both criminal attacks.

The special task force assigned by the Attorney General, Francisco Barbosa Delgado, to clarify the facts that took place on June 15 at the 30th Brigade of the National Army, based in Cúcuta (Norte de Santander), established that the dissent of the 33rd FARC front would be responsible for the terrorist attack that injured 44 people and caused considerable material damages.

The team that was made up of specialized prosecutors, more than 20 investigators of the National Police and the CTI, and experts in different specialties obtained evidence that revealed a network that would be involved in the attack with a car bomb and other several violent acts that took place in Norte de Santander last month, such as the attack against the helicopter in which the President of the Republic, Iván Duque Márquez, some of his ministers and other officials were traveling.

10 alleged members of this organization were arrested in Cúcuta, El Zulia and La Gabarra de Tibú (Norte de Santander). Two firearms, 24 cartridges, COP 185,620,000, 14 cell phones, 3 USB memory sticks, 2 storage hard drives, 1 tablet, 1 mini-recorder, 5 computers, 5 vehicles (2 trucks, 2 cars, and 1 motorcycle) were seized in the proceedings.

As a result of the investigation into the explosions at the military headquarters, seven men and one woman were arrested; and concerning the attack against the President, two men were arrested. However, there is evidence that shows that some of these people would have some responsibility in both attacks.

Three of the eight people linked to the attack against the military headquarters, allegedly participated directly in the planning and entry of the car bomb to the headquarters. They are:

  • Joaquín Medina Duarte, alias Joaquín, who allegedly bought the white truck that was loaded with explosives and a motorcycle to help to escape the man who got the car bomb inside the brigade
  • Andrés Fernando Medina Rodríguez, alias El Capi, alias Joaquín’s son. He allegedly took the truck to Tibú where it was prepared with explosives, and on June 15, he got the car into the military premises to explode it.
  • Ciro Alfonso Gutiérrez Ballesteros, alias Ciro, would be the motorcyclist who accompanied the truck, waited, and picked up alias El Capi in front of the 30th brigade, after leaving the vehicle abandoned in the brigade.

A prosecutor of the Special Directorate against Criminal Organizations charged them with aggravated terrorism, aggravated homicide with attempt, aggravated conspiracy to commit a crime, aggravated damage to someone else’s property, and aggravated manufacture, trafficking, and possession of weapons, ammunition for the exclusive use of the Armed Forces or explosives.

Other five alleged members of the Farc’s 33rd front who are investigated for the attack against the brigade, were charged with aggravated conspiracy to commit a crime. They are: Édison Durán Ascanio, alias Ascanio; Vladimir Acosta Pérez, alias Yimmy; Fredy Esteban Maldonado Torrado, alias Pancho; Jhon Freddy Lizarazo Rodríguez, alias El Flaco or Miguel; and Geraldine Fiayo Torrado, alias Geraldine.

At the request of a prosecutor appointed to the Special Directorate against Criminal Organizations, the eight defendants were sent to prison.

The attack against the presidential helicopter

Three people of the group of eight who were prosecuted for the explosions in Brigade 30,  have different levels of participation in the attack against the presidential helicopter:

  • ‘El Capi’. He is accused of designing the criminal plan. Due to his knowledge of aeronautical and military matters, he allegedly guided the dissents concerning the vulnerable points of the helicopter and other technical aspects.
  • ‘Ascanio’. He would be one of the two shooters.
  • ‘Miguel’ or ‘El Flaco’. He was allegedly in charge of hiding the two rifles

Moreover, Yeison Herminio Bernal Rincón, alias Yeison, the alleged taxi driver who took the shooters to the place where the shots were fired, and Yeferson Román Gamboa, alias Román, in charge of the logistical support, were arrested.

These five defendants were charged with attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated conspiracy to commit crimes; and manufacture, trafficking and possession of weapons, ammunition for the exclusive use of the Armed Forces or explosives.

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

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