At the request of the Attorney General’s Office, a judge imposed prison sentences on 11 alleged members of the criminal group La Empresa, involved in the practice of hiring hit men, theft and petty drug dealing in Cali (Valle del Cauca).
A specialized prosecutor charged the defendants, according to their alleged participation in each event, with: criminal conspiracy, homicide, attempted homicide, all aggravated. They were also prosecuted for illegal possession of firearms and drug trafficking.
The Office of the Attorney General established that the group is supported by people located in different neighborhoods of the city to commit selective homicides and sell narcotics in the so-called comunas 14, 15 and 21 of Cali.
Judicial police work showed that ‘La Empresa’ was involved in at least 15 criminal actions: 6 cases of homicide with 8 victims, two of them were 5 and 8 years old, respectively. In addition to 3 attempted murders and 9 cases of drug trafficking.
Eight deceased victims
The Office of the Attorney General established that the alleged members of La Empresa were allegedly involved in the practice of hiring hitmen and *fleteo. In this regard, they identified and followed their victims in shopping centers. The valuable objects or withdrawals of large amounts of money from banks were the aspects they had in mind when choosing the victims.
People were followed, intercepted and murdered and then, their belongings were taken. For this purpose, the alleged aggressors used private, public service vehicles and motorcycles to scape.
One of these facts occurred on August 24, 2023, near a residential complex in Ciudad Jardín, where a man was murdered to rob his briefcase in which he allegedly had money that he withdrew from a bank.
Another six cases occurred in May, June and December 2024 in which there were 10 victims and 3 of them managed to survive.
Petty drug dealing
Judicial police work allowed the Office of the Attorney General to establish at least 9 events related to petty drug trafficking, especially in Comuna 15. One of the members of ‘La Empresa’ would be responsible for coordinating the criminal acts, controlling the illicit business and supplying drug dealers.
During 21 home searches, the authorities conducted the arrest warrants and seized a vehicle and two firearms.
None of the defendants pleaded guilty to the charges.
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.
* Action aimed at stealing money from a person who withdraws money from the bank.