Alleged members of the so-called ‘Clan del Golfo’ were prosecuted for alleged participation in crimes of social leaders in Santander and Antioquia

Prosecutors from the Special Investigation Unit (Unidad Especial de Investigación UEI) brought two alleged members of the ‘Clan del Golfo’ before judges, since they would be involved in the murder of two social leaders in Barrancabermeja (Santander) and Nariño (Antioquia).

Alias Caballo was sent to prison

At the request of the Attorney General’s Office, a judge imposed a prison sentence against Cristian Macareo Romero, alias Caballo, alleged hitman of the self-identified  Édgar Madrid Benjumea front of the ‘Clan del Golfo’, for his alleged participation in the murder of the social leader, Efraín Sánchez Durán, that was committed on November 25, 2022, in Barrancabermeja (Santander).

The victim, director of a foundation that supported older adults in vulnerable situations, was intercepted and attacked indiscriminately by armed men.

In that sense, ‘Caballo’ was charged with aggravated homicide, aggravated criminal conspiracy; and manufacturing, trafficking, possession of firearms, accessories, parts or ammunition.

New charges brought against alias Camilo

Carlos Alberto Herrera Arcila, alias Camilo, the alleged ringleader of a substructure of the ‘Clan del Golfo’ was prosecuted as allegedly responsible for the crime of the community leader and cattle breeder, Jairo de Jesús Zuleta Álvarez, at the request of a prosecutor from the Special Investigation Unit.

On April 18, 2023, members of the illegal armed group arrived at a farm in the Morro Azul neighborhood of Nariño (Antioquia) and shot the victim repeatedly until he died.

Alias Camilo was charged with aggravated homicide; and manufacturing, trafficking, or possession of firearms, accessories, parts or ammunition. Currently, he is deprived of his liberty in a prison for other criminal acts in which he would be involved.

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.