At the request of the Office of the Attorney General, a judge imposed a prison sentence on nine alleged members of the criminal group known as Los Mostros, that was involved in local drug trafficking in Ibagué (Tolima).
A prosecutor from the branch office in Tolima (Seccional Tolima) charged them, according to their individual responsibility, with criminal conspiracy and trafficking, manufacturing, or possession of narcotics; both aggravated offenses. The defendants did not plead guilty to the charges.
According to the investigation, the defendants allegedly engaged in storing, preparing dosis, and selling marijuana and bazuco (a cocaine byproduct) in a marketplace located at calle 21 con carrera 4 and neighborhoods La Estación, Hipódromo, San Pedro Alejandrino, La Cartagena, Garzón, and El Carmen. They generated illicit income of approximately 60 million pesos per month.
The individuals that were arrested are: Juan Gabriel Hernández, alias Tortugo; Francisco Javier Monasterio, alias Polo; José Hugo Méndez, alias El Viejo; Pedro Andrés Álvarez Zarta, alias Palillo; Jhon Fredy Suárez Moreno, alias Negro; Jhon Jairo Barrero, alias Tapete; Jasson Fabián Riveros Figueroa, alias El Gato, Fabián Antonio López, alias Soldado, and Juan Fernando Villalba Reyes, alias Chamo.
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.