Nine people who would have laundered more than $33 billion from the Gulf Clan are prosecuted

In the midst of the Argenta strategy, the authorities captured and prosecuted nine people who would be involved in money laundering to benefit the Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AGC), also known as the Gulf Clan. The defendants would be grouped under an illegal organization that, apparently, received and had money that the said criminal structure obtained from forced displacement, extortion, drug trafficking, among other illicit conduct.

It was revealed that the defendants were six men, identified as Miguel Ángel Úsuga Fernández, Jhojan Andrey Úsuga Graciano, José Alveiro Gomez Granada, Hernando Usuga Graciano, Edwin Jahir Carmona Cifuentes and Andrés Felipe Clavijo Jimenez. In addition, there are three women, who go by the names of Carmen Cecilia Graciano Loaiza, Yuliany Andrea Úsuga David and Alejandra Naranjo Alarcón.

The Specialized Directorate Against Money Laundering and the Specialized Directorate for Extinction of Domain Rights of the Public Prosecutor's Office, in coordination with the Criminal Investigation Directorate (DIJIN) of the National Police, established that the defendants would have lent their names to acquire movable property, real estate and livestock. In addition, front companies were set up to give the appearance of legality to resources and make them circulate in the national financial system.

These transactions apparently managed to launder more than 33 billion pesos. In addition, during the search proceedings in which the arrests were carried out, 1,154 million pesos were seized in cash that were in a cove.

Thus, the alleged members of the network were charged with the crimes of illicit enrichment of individuals, a concert to commit crimes for the purpose of money laundering, and advice to organized criminal groups and organized armed groups. In addition, it was indicated that the money found in the cove will be made available to a domain extinction prosecutor to advance the relevant procedures.

Due to the seriousness of the offences and the evidence held by the authorities, eight of the defendants received security measures: five in prison and three in the place of residence. The ninth judiciary, identified as Andrés Felipe Clavijo, will remain linked to the investigation, but while a decision is reached, he will remain free.

In addition to being held in detention, the Specialized Directorate for the Extinction of Dominion Law imposed precautionary measures on the defendants to suspend device power, seizure, kidnapping and taking possession of assets valued at more than one billion pesos. The authorities emphasized that these belong to or were acquired by the money laundering network of the 'Gulf Clan'.

It was revealed that the properties are located in Medellin, Bello, Copacabana, Buritica, Carepa, Turbo, Apartado and Chigorodó (Antioquia). These are 36 properties, 8 companies, 6 commercial establishments, 79 vehicles, 21 vehicles, more than $107′000,000 deposited in bank accounts and about $22′000,000 in cash found in a trading establishment.

The investigation established that some of the assets had passed into the hands of third parties in an attempt to evade financial and fiscal filters. Many of these potential front men would have unjustified capital increases. Therefore, the Company for Special Assets (SAE) will take over the management of the affected properties for purposes of extinction of ownership.

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