Judicial police work showed that drug trafficking activities were carried out in municipalities such as Lérida, Venadillo and Ambalema.

Under the coordination of a prosecutor assigned to the Anti-Narcotics Unit of the Sectional Office in Tolima, the National Police carried out six home searches in properties located at El Resurgir, Sabroso and Villa Luz de Lérida neighborhoods, and in the sector La Paz of Armero Guayabal.

In these proceedings, seven alleged members of the Los Cancheros criminal group were arrested, having a direct impact on the organized crime responsible for drug trafficking in this part of the country.

The people involved are: Carlos Andrés García Herrera, alias El Abuelo; Paola Andrea Murillo Guerrero; Miguel Ángel Quitian Rodríguez, alias El Rolo; Julián Andrés Méndez Grajales; Jorge Enrique Estrada Jiménez, alias Mirla; Sandra Milena Tangarife Jiménez, alias Martha; and Johan Jefferson Oino Zamora, alias Chuki.

The defendants were charged with trafficking, manufacture or possession of narcotics; and illegal destination of personal property or real estate in urban and rural areas of the municipality of Lérida. They did not plead guilty to the charges.

According to the investigation, ‘Los Cancheros’ were committing crimes since a year ago in Tolima. In addition, they would be responsible for transporting the illicit substances which they obtained in Bogotá and Ibagué, and would be sending them to the municipalities of Lérida, Venadillo and Ambalema through parcels.

During the home searches, cash apparently derived from drug sales was seized, as well as a traumatic pistol with magazine and cartridges and different quantities of cocaine, marijuana and bazuco.

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.