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On the night of Wednesday, March 13, the President of the Republic, Gustavo Petro, and the Attorney General’s Office reported that they dealt a hard blow to smuggling in Buenaventura (Valle del Cauca) with the capture of Ricardo Orozco Baeza, alias El Blessed, who is accused of evading taxes of 8 billion pesos.
“In compliance with the established commitment (…) to fight against the main crimes that affect citizens, especially crimes such as smuggling and money laundering, we are currently advancing the results of the investigation for the dismantling of a high-impact criminal structure, in which he participated (sic)”, the Prosecutor’s Office stated from their official account on the social network X.
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The criminal structure, also detailed by the investigating entity, was made up of individuals and public officials.
“They facilitated the crime of smuggling in several areas of the country. (Orozco Baeza) would also be responsible for tax evasion of nearly 8 billion pesos. This operation was carried out in joint work with the @PoliciaColombia and the Drug Control Administration, #DEA (sic)”, the organization highlighted.
President Petro described this operation as the most accurate that has occurred in many years against tax fraud.
“This is the biggest blow to smuggling in the history of Colombia. The National Police, the DEA Anti-Drug Agency and the Attorney General’s Office carried out an operation against organized crime and money laundering, achieving the capture of 4 people in Bucaramanga, Bogotá and Cali (sic)”, he stated in his X account. .
FILE PHOTO. A general view of the port of Buenaventura, in the department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia, February 26, 2013. REUTERS/Jaime Saldarriaga
The president also stressed the importance of the capture of Orozco Baeza, whom he pointed out as the biggest smuggler in the country.
“The capture of Ricardo Orozco Baeza alias “El Benceso” stands out, the main promoter of money laundering and smuggling in the Port of Buenaventura, who is wanted for the crimes of aggravated conspiracy and bribery. Alias El Blessed, would be responsible for the entry of 80% of the smuggling into the country and criminal income for 8 billion pesos annually (sic), ”he added.
Finally, the head of state explained that the operation is still ongoing to find more of those accused of tax evasion in that structure that the authorities dismantled.
“This operation continues to effectively capture an important leader who is in the process of being located (sic),” he concluded.
The Satans are a transnational criminal gang that has Bogota residents in suspense – credit National Police
On the afternoon of March 13, the authorities of the United States and Colombia announced the capture of Aderbis Segundo Pirela, known as Maracucho, who would be positioned as the second criminal boss within this criminal group led by Juan Manuel Vera, known as Satan since the jail.
“Yesterday, HSI San Antonio, HSI Bogotá, federal, state and local partners arrested one of the “most wanted” of the Colombian National Police in New Braunfels for homicide, drug trafficking and extortion in Colombia,” they noted from the account. of X of the San Antonio Police (USA).
Likewise, the Bogotá Metropolitan Police announced the arrest of this criminal, who is also called Pedrito, highlighting his link with Satan.
“In cooperation with the Special Agency @HSI_SanAntonio of the US Department of Homeland Security, we captured alias ‘Pedrito’, current second leader of the GDCO Satan, responsible for extortion, homicides, drug trafficking and other crimes,” they published in the same social network.
After the arrest of this subject, General José Gualdrón, commander of the Bogotá Metropolitan Police, declared that this is the first of several actions directed against the group, warning that no matter where they hide, they will eventually be caught.
“There will be no territory where these criminals can hide, we will capture them and present them to justice, our priority: ensuring the safety and tranquility of the people of Bogotá,” said Gualdrón.
Maracucho’s criminal history includes, according to Colombian authorities, extortion of merchants, as well as the responsibility of collecting these “vaccines”, which makes him the alleged perpetrator of multiple homicides of individuals who did not comply with payments, which is why which was included in the list of the most wanted in the capital of Colombia.
According to the US authorities, this criminal had traveled to his country with the aim of establishing a new criminal group belonging to this network abroad, using the same model with which they have taken control of several areas of Bogotá and the municipality. from Soacha.