In the course of river and territorial control operations, the Colombian Navy, in coordination with units of the Criminal Investigation Section SIJIN (JUDICIAL POLICE)) Bolívar, arrested alias Champeta and alias Martín o el Enano, alleged ringleaders of the Organized Armed Group GAO Clan del Golfo, in the department of Bolívar.
The arrest was possible in the municipality of Altos del Rosario - South of Bolívar, where men of the Military Gaula (Anti-Extortion and Anti-Kidnapping Group) Bolívar with the support of units of the Navy Infantry River Battalion No.17 and members of the Military Forces of the Criminal Investigation Section SIJIN (JUDICIAL POLICE) - Bolívar complied with an arrest order issued by the Specialized Prosecutor's Office of Barranquilla for the alleged crimes of association to commit crimes for extortion purposes.
In this operation, alias Champeta, the maximum ringleader of the Erlin Pino Duarte substructure, was arrested, who would be in charge of homicides, association to commit crimes, extortion, trafficking in firearms and narcotics in the municipalities of Montecristo, Río Viejo, Tiquisio, Norosí, Achí, Altos del Rosario, San Martín de Loba, Barranco de Loba, Hatillo de Loba, Pinillos, Mompox, San Fernando, Margarita and San Jacinto del Cauca - Bolívar.
Alias Champeta had been in the ranks of criminal organizations for 18 years. In 2005, he demobilized of the Mineros Bloc of the AUC and in 2010 he was linked to this group outlaw again as a troop member. In addition, he served as zone ringleader of the Luis Alfonso Echeverría substructure of the Magdalena Medio and as military ringleader of the Luis Fernando Gutiérrez substructure.
In continuation of the operation, it was arrested in flagrante delicto on the public streets alias Martín or El Enano, who was carrying a firearm and was the bodyguard of alias Champeta, considered his right-hand man and alleged ringleader of an area with influence in the Las Lobas subregion, allegedly in charge of storing the payrolls of the members of the Organized Armed Group and handling the communications notebook containing the report codes used by these individuals in specific areas of Bolívar, and also controlling the material of military accessories and ammunition of the organization.
After their arrest, these two individuals were put into custody of the Specialized Prosecutor's Office of Magangué, where they will have to face charges of homicide, manufacture, trafficking, carrying or possession of firearms and narcotics, extortion and association to commit aggravated crimes.
Source: Press – Colombian Air Force