Criminal network accused of favoring cattle smuggling through Venezuela´s border was dismantled

ICA* employees and former employees, cattle breeders and other individuals were arrested as a result of a joint investigation.

A joint work between the Office of the Attorney General, the National Police,  National Directorate of Taxes and Customs (Dirección de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales (DIAN)) and ICA allowed them to dismantle a criminal organization accused of smuggling livestock into Venezuela.

Twelve (12) people were arrested in operation carried out in the Departments of Arauca and Meta (two ICAs employees, five former employees of the same institution, a vaccinator and four farmers). The arrested individuals were brought before a prosecutor in Arauca and were charged with criminal conspiracy, favoring smuggling, and favoring as public servant.

The investigation arose from a complaint lodged by ICA, in which it warned about the excessive increase in livestock inventory of some businessman in Villavicencio (Meta).

* A Colombian agriculture and livestock Institute ( in Spanish Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario ICA)