The drug trafficker planned to escape during the presidential election weekend in Colombia
Alias Matamba, one of the most important men in the Clan del Golfo. Photo: Colprensa
In an event with few precedents in the country, one of the major drug traffickers and key players in the Clan del Golfo, alias Matamba, escaped from La Picota prison in the city of Bogotá. The event generated a huge controversy and questioned the safety of the country’s prisons. Several members of the National Penitentiary and Prison Institute were blamed for this act and an exhaustive search for the now free criminal began.
Two months later, President Iván Duque Márquez confirmed that Juan Larinson Castro, alias Matamba, had been killed in an operation by the public forces. “I want to inform the country that, in an operation by our Colombian National Police in coordination with the Prosecutor’s Office, in Bolívar (Santander), Juan Larinson Castro Estupiñán alias “Matamba” was neutralized , former head of the “Gulf Clan” and one of the most wanted criminals in the country,” the president stated on his social networks.
On the other hand, Defense Minister Diego Molano pointed out that, “The neutralization of ‘Matamba’ is the result of the work of our Public Force. This criminal has come to an end. This is how all those who harm Colombia end. I repeat: no matter where they hide, we keep finding them.”
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Now, some of the details of how alias Matamba planned to escape this Monday, May 30 have been revealed. According to some versions provided by National Police investigators revealed by El Tiempo, the drug trafficker alias Che had hired a private helicopter to transport Matamba from Santander to the Coffee Region. The investigations indicate that the criminal had the objective of reaching Venezuela.
Everything seems to indicate that this weekend had been chosen to be transferred to the Coffee Region, since a large part of the public forces were going to be concentrated on the development of the electoral daywhich will be held throughout the country. This Sunday May 29. A special group of the Anti-Narcotics Police and the United States Drug Enforcement Agency, the DEA had already contacted one of alias Che’s associates.
You can also read: This was the operation in which alias Matamba fell: the DEA and a Venezuelan fortune teller were key
Alias Matamba, who was one of alias Otoniel’s trusted men and a few weeks ago was extradited to the United States, was one of the key pieces of drug trafficker alias Che in being able to process and distribute several tons of cocaine in Nariño. In other information revealed by El Tiempo, they assure that the criminal, who was discharged on May 26, before being captured already had some connections with Pablo Misael Ramos, /b>known as Pantera 24, one of the heads of the Gulf Cartel in Mexico.
After being captured, the objective for these drug traffickers was to free alias Matamba, so they would have invested nearly four million dollars in this operation and that ended with the criminal escaping from La Picota. These versions also indicate that Juan Larinson Castro, after leaving the penitentiary, changed cars, which could have confused the authorities and was hiding in Magdalena Medio.
First he was hidden on a farm in Puerto Boyacá and later arrived in the municipality of Bolívar in the department of Santander. His security was in charge of a group of ex-paramilitaries from Magdalena Medio, since they were also associated with the drug trafficker and They wanted to be part of this huge group of drug traffickers associated between Colombia and Mexico, whose purpose was to create the largest criminal network between these two countries.