Seven members of 'Los Costeños', dedicated to extortion in the Atlantic

The Attorney General's Office announced the prosecution of several members of a gang called 'Los Costeños' dedicated to extorting people in the Atlantic.

According to the authorities, these people offered transportation services to catch their victims. Investigations carried out by the Prosecutor's Office established that subjects transported citizens to unpopulated areas under deception and then extorted money from their families.

The members of 'Los Costeños' were captured by members of the Gaula of the Police and the National Army in seven raids and searches carried out in the departments of Magdalena, Norte de Santander, Meta, Antioquia and Bogotá.

The seven persons who were captured by the authorities, three men and four women, reported by the events described above, were prosecuted for the crime of aggravated extortion. According to the information provided by the Prosecutor's Office, none of those arrested accepted the charges.

The captured criminals were identified as: William David Castro Caballero, Luis Beltrán Jimenez, Jersson Javier Gomez Neuta, Martha Yaneth Castellanos Navas, Edith Milena Salazar Villegas, Diana Karina Mendez Moreno and María Fanny Gomez Zuluaga.

According to the Prosecutor's Office, of the seven persons captured, only two were sheltered under the security measure in a prison establishment. The others, despite the material submitted by the prosecutor, were released.

The investigating body assured that the court's decision was appealed in order for all members of the band 'Los Costeños' to be deprived of liberty.

Extortionists from southwestern Antioquia were captured

Three members of the Gulf Clan engaged in extortion in southwestern Antioquia were captured in the last few hours, authorities reported. According to the information provided by the National Army, one of the detainees would also be the political leader of that criminal structure.

This is alias Omega or Samuel, alias La Mona and another guy known as 'Tutunendo'. These criminals fell during an operation that took place in La Encarnación village located in Urrao, Antioquia.

According to information provided by the authorities, these people were responsible for frightening businessmen in the area. The criminals, under the command of alias Samuel or Omega, extorted money from avocado producers, ranchers and traders in southwestern Antioquia.

The National Army reported that the three persons captured had in their possession more than 100 pamphlets containing messages from that criminal group, as well as accounting books, books on indoctrination practices and an operations journal.

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