The 15 alleged members of ‘Los del Oriente’ infiltrated the social protest and perpetrated thefts in commercial establishments. In addition, they are accused of the commission of 4 selective homicides and 15 thefts.
Among the 10 defendants of the criminal group La Sultana, there are four minors. They allegedly vandalized police facilities and helped 38 detainees to escape.
After his visit to the Sectional Office in Huila (Neiva), the Attorney General, Francisco Barbosa Delgado, traveled with his executive staff to Cali (Valle del Cauca) where he announced two important results obtained in the fight against crimes that affect public safety, after the implementation of the strengthening strategy in different Sectional Offices.
The Attorney General Barbosa announced that the Office of the Attorney General prosecuted 25 people who allegedly carried out acts of terrorism and thefts in the city of Cali (Valle del Cauca) in the development of the lines of investigation to clarify criminal acts perpetrated during the violent demonstrations between April and last June in the national strike.
The defendants belonged to two criminal structures that were dismantled by the Sectional Office in Cali and CTI with the support of the National Police, as follows:
‘Los del Oriente’
At the request of a sectional prosecutor, the third municipal criminal judge in Cali, sentenced 15 alleged members of the criminal gang Los del Oriente to prison
In the preliminary hearings, the Office of the Attorney General charged the detainees with aggravated homicide; aggravated criminal conspiracy; aggravated robbery; manufacture, trafficking and possession of firearms, accessories, parts and ammunition; and use of minors for the commission of crimes.
The investigators obtained information and evidence about the existence of the criminal structure that committed various crimes, such as selective homicides, robberies ( in which thieves follow the victim out of the bank known as ‘fleteo’), burglary, housebreaking, robbery to commercial premises, and drug distribution since February 2020.
The decision was pronounced against: Luis Fernando Villegas Osorio, alias el Paisa, alleged ringleader; Jhonnathan René Contreras Román, Anderson Contreras Román, Fredy Hernando Contreras Román, César Augusto Niño Romero, Alejandra Quintero Ramos, Jesús David Martínez Valencia, Andrés Felipe Grajales Aristizabal, Cindy Lorena Estrada Castaño, Kelly Johana Ortiz Bedoya, Luis Antonio Zapata Pérez, alias Lucho; Luis Fernando Mosquera Ibargüen, alias Perruncho; Jhon Dayme Rico Mahecha, alias Timer; Jeffry Ortega Villa; and Mileidy Stephanny Bernal Guzmán.
According to the investigation, these 15 people participated in at least 19 criminal actions, including homicides (4) and thefts (15) in the main city of Valle del Cauca and the municipality of El Cerrito. In addition, they allegedly infiltrated the social protest by taking advantage of the demonstrations that took place since last April to commit thefts in commercial establishments in sectors such as Calipso and Paso del Comercio in the east part of the city.
In the hearings, the Office of the Attorney General presented videos and photographs obtained by CTI personnel that show the criminal actions committed by the defendants who were arrested on August 5 during home searches.
The operations were carried out in neighborhoods Nueva Base, San Luis, El Poblado, Petecuy II, Nueva Floresta Gaitán, Manuela Beltrán in the eastern area of Cali; and sector Yerbabuena in El Palmar, in the municipality of Dagua (Valle del Cauca).
During the proceedings, the authorities seized 9-millimeter and 7.65-caliber pistols, 38-caliber revolvers, magazines, cartridges with different caliber, a box with ammunition, and a dagger.
Likewise, 8 cell phones, 29 brand watches, motorcycle parts such as mirrors, shock absorbers, a motorcycle, a USB memory, motorcycle driving licenses, cash, and packages with cocaine and marijuana were found.
‘La Sultana’
The Office of the Attorney General also prosecuted 10 people for belonging to the criminal gang La Sultana.
Ten people, including 4 minors, were part of the criminal structure La Sultana, which attacked police facilities in the main city of Valle del Cauca.
In the preliminary hearings, the fourth criminal judge with supervisory functions in Cali accepted the arguments presented by the Office of the Attorney General and imposed a prison sentence against six people for their alleged responsibility in the crimes of aggravated terrorism, aggravated robbery, escape of prisoners and use of minors for the commission of crimes.
The decision was pronounced against: Juan David Artunduaga, Jonathan Mauricio Rodríguez, Paulo Javier Mosca, Bairon Stiven Henao, Reinel Villalobos Jiménez and Esteban Daza.
Meanwhile, 4 minors were charged by a prosecutor appointed to the Unit -Unidad de Responsabilidad para Adolescentes (Urpa)- according to his responsibility, with aggravated terrorism and aggravated robbery. Two of them pleaded guilty to the charges.
Three of the alleged offenders were sent to a preventive detention center- Centro de Atención Especializado (CAE) Valle del Lili-, in the south area of the city, while the other minor will remain in a foster home.
The defendants were arrested in operations carried out by Police Officers in Cali belonging to the protection services – Servicios de Protección y de Servicios Especiales- coordinated by two prosecutors appointed to Urpa and by the support structure (Estructura de Apoyo EDA), in the Siloé sector, west area of Cali.
The Office of the Attorney General proved with videos, photographs, and the testimony of residents of the area that the defendants allegedly attacked the Comando de Atención Inmediata CAI* in neighborhood El Cortijo and the Police Station in neighborhood La Sultana with stones, homemade explosives ‘Molotov’, and firearms. The facts took place on May 3 and 4, during the violent demonstrations in the framework of the national strike.
The alleged members of ‘La Sultana’, in addition to setting fire to and vandalizing the police facilities, stole logistical equipment and helped 38 people who were detained in those places to escape.
According to the investigations, some of the defendants have criminal records for theft.
When we speak, results follow.
The information contained in this press release corresponds to the narration of the objective news provided by the officials in charge of carrying out the criminal investigations within the Office of the Attorney General. By the time this communication is disclosed, the legal status of the people mentioned is still pending to be resolved by the competent judicial authority, always under the presumption of innocence contemplated by Article 29 of the Political Constitution and Article 7 of Law 906 of 2004.
*Early response centers of the National Police in Colombia