Prosecutors dismantle the migrant smuggling network: they demand $300 to bring them to Ipiales

All defendants received custodial security measures, the suspected articulators at the prison center and the others at the place of residence.

In the afternoon of this Saturday, May 21, the Attorney General’s Office reported that they, in a joint effort with the National Police Department’s DIJIN, have dismantled a migrant smuggling network that appears to have charged about $300 to every foreigner who entered the country illegally through Ipiales (Nariño).

According to the investigations of the investigating authority, with this money they were provided with food, accommodation in a hotel in Medellín and ground transport to Capurganá (Chocó), where the migrants were picked up in boats and taken to Panama so they could continue on their way to the United States.

Among the prisoners are Adrian Ricardo Rojo Correa Y Sebastian Carmona Mejia, who takes care of the logistics, the transfer, the meals and the accommodation of the contact persons. Also captured were Leidy Nataly Estrada Cifuentes and Jennifer Aurora Suaza Escudero, the sentimental partners of these two men.

Evidence provided by prosecutors included the collection of international money orders, which totaled 254 million pesos and $46,000 last year. These funds would match payments from citizens Among others Haiti, Senegal, Cuba, Paraguay and Uruguay. Search for illegal network services.

Among the prisoners are Gloria Milena Álvarez Quinchía and Viviana María Mesa Serna. These women are the managers of a hotel in Medellín where the migrants were staying when they arrived. The other suspected members of the illegal structure would engage in illegal logistics and transportation activities.

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A prosecutor from the Special Directorate Against Criminal Organizations in turn charged them with crimes of migrant smuggling and aggravated conspiracy to commit a crime.. All defendants received custodial security measures, the supposed articulators in the prison center and the others in the place of residence.

In the same statement, the investigating body announced that the Special Directorate for the Cancellation of Domain Rights imposed precautionary measures to suspend the power of disposal, embargo, kidnapping and possession of a hotel and three vehicles, two of public service and one private that would be in the service of the migrant smuggling network .

The assets, worth more than 2,500 million pesos, have been handed over to the Special Assets Society (SAE) for administration. On the other hand, during the investigation, the authorities They discovered 50 foreign nationals who had entered Colombia irregularly. These people were made available to Migration Colombia, who coordinated their immediate return to their countries of origin.

This week, the US Customs and Border Control Office (CBP for its English acronym) released the statistics for the month of March on the arrival of illegal and legal migrants in their country. The report points this out between March 1st and 31stAuthorities arrested 5,144 Colombians who tried to enter the country illegally or who were seeking asylum at the time of their arrest.

So far this year they have been arrested in the United States around 40,000 Colombians. This represents a 545% increase over the past 6 months compared to the total illegal migration registered in FY2021.

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