Alias ​​Aquiles is accused of violent confrontations with the ELN and the ‘Clan del Golfo’ to have control over the illicit income in Norte de Santander

At the request of the Attorney General’s Office, a judge imposed a prison sentence against Álvaro Arévalo Bedoya, alias Aquiles, alleged leader of an organized criminal group ‘Los Pelusos’, who would be involved in homicides and other criminal acts in Norte de Santander.

The evidence indicates that this man apparently obtained rifles, ammunition and other elements to keep approximately 20 men armed to confront ELN and ‘Clan del Golfo’ structures that commit crimes in the border area with Venezuela.

In this sense, alias Aquiles was charged with four murders perpetrated in Ocaña (Norte de Santander) in 2021. Among the victims, there is a citizen who was affected by an explosive device which was thrown at a gas company that did not pay extortion; and three brothers accused of selling narcotics at small scale without authorization from ‘Los Pelusos’.

Likewise, he would be involved in extortion, terrorist actions and distribution of threatening pamphlets.

Therefore, a prosecutor from the Specialized Directorate against Criminal Organizations charged him with conspiracy to commit aggravated crimes for  extortion purposes and homicide, and manufacturing, trafficking and possession of firearms. He did not plead guilty to the charges.

Alias ​​Aquiles was arrested on a public road in Ocaña by National Police.

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

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