The Attorney General, Francisco Barbosa Delgado, held a meeting with his counterpart from El Salvador, Rodolfo Delgado, to review the most recent results achieved in the fight against transnational crime.
The head of the Colombian institution highlighted, among the results, two important operations carried out with the Salvadoran authorities that allowed the seizure of nearly four tons of cocaine hydrochloride.
“By virtue of the binational work and the work carried out by the Salvadoran authorities, it is essential to point out that two large operations were carried out in El Salvador. One was on August 19, and another was on August 20. In the first one, a boat was seized and there were an Ecuadorian and two Colombian citizens. Two tons of cocaine hydrochloride were found. In the second one, another two tons of cocaine hydrochloride were seized and four citizens from Guatemala were arrested,” said Prosecutor Barbosa Delgado in El Salvador.
The Attorney General of Colombia stressed that these actions are part of an important work that will be strengthened by signing an agreement between both countries.
Memorandum of understanding with El Salvador
This memorandum of understanding, signed by both countries, seeks to strengthen judicial cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, financial crimes, money laundering, and cybercrime.
“We have signed a memorandum of understanding in which we agree with our operational teams and with our prosecutors to prosecute this crime that is linked to drug trafficking, human trafficking, and migrant smuggling; among many other things, and thus be able to move forward in joint operations, in the spontaneous exchange of judicial information that allows us to have better investigations here and in Colombia. The purpose of all this is to obtain results”, assured Prosecutor Barbosa.
The bilateral agreement includes strategic actions such as promoting investigations against transnational organized crime, as well as joint actions regarding the recovery of assets related to criminal activities and criminal organizations.
“I believe that these types of agreements are important for our institution; mainly because they contribute to the exchange of good practices in fighting crime; both organized and common crime. We believe that both Colombia and El Salvador have similar criminal problems (…) and I believe that the mission of the attorney generals is precisely to use the full weight of the law (…) to try to send to prison all those criminals who seek to alter public peace”, stated the Attorney General of El Salvador, Rodolfo Delgado.
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This agreement also seeks to carry out comprehensive investigations between the countries, with the exchange of information that allows the prosecution of those responsible for transnational crimes.
As part of the meetings held in this country, the Attorney General’s Office of Salvador announced the strategy it is currently implementing in the fight against criminal groups that affect citizens’ safety.
“We also came here to learn about the experience in the fight against organized crime, we are clear that it is not only with individual persecution that we will reach (…) these criminal structures, but it is necessary to study criminality and be able to understand what is happening in rural areas and in urban areas in both countries”, said Prosecutor Francisco Barbosa.
For his part, the Attorney General of El Salvador highlighted the importance of learning about the strategy implemented in Colombia regarding the investigation of animal abuse. “It will be very enriching to know how the number of convictions in this type of criminal act has been obtained. For us, it is new legislation and we are going to learn about these good practices”, he stated.
This bilateral work is part of the strategies led by Prosecutor Francisco Barbosa Delgado, as president of the Ibero-American Association of Public Ministries (Asociación Iberoamericana de Ministerios Públicos AIAMP), which seeks to coordinate actions and investigations that are carried out in the different countries against organized crime.
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 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.