A 17-year-old boy, who was supposed to carry out the attack on Senator and presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay on June 7, became a key figure for investigators in the case. But his sudden departure from the ICBF center, where he was being held under protective measures, raised red flags. Who recruited him, why did he leave the country before the attack, and what did he know about the criminal plot?
Intelligence sources confirmed to EL TIEMPO that the teenager, a Venezuelan national, had already been contacted by criminal networks, primarily by the alias El Costeño, and knew the details of the attack. However, just days before it was carried out, he decided to leave.
"He realized it was a very delicate case, that getting involved was high risk. And he got out," an international intelligence source told this newspaper.
The mysterious trip before the hit
The minor left Bogotá on June 6, one day before the attack, heading for Tulcán, Ecuador. His absence reportedly forced those responsible to quickly find another youth, who ultimately ended up being the 14-year-old known as"Tianz," to carry out the attack.
Once in Ecuador, the young man had been in hiding for several days. However, he returned to Bogotá to cooperate with the justice system, supposedly intending to testify in favor of one of those involved, confident that he would not be taken into custody.
However, upon reporting to authorities, he was placed under protective measures by the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare (ICBF), and on Tuesday afternoon, it became known that he had left the special center where he was being held, police confirmed.
The young man's closeness to the person involved in the attack
The release from this location represents a blow to the case, as this witness had direct information about the planning of the attack, the actors involved, and the offers he received. According to the sources consulted, the young man had knowledge of the criminal structure, the code names, and the intended execution of the crime.
The fact that he returned to Colombia to testify also suggests that, despite withdrawing from the plot, he remained close to one of those involved, seeking legal benefits for that person. However, when he found himself detained, he decided to escape.
The criminal network of alias El Costeño
Fifty days after the hit on Miguel, progress has been made in the arrest of five people and the apprehension of a minor.
Alias Tianz, the 14-year-old minor, suspected of being the hitman, was arrested the same day. Later, Carlos Eduardo Mora, known as"Veneco," was captured. He was accused of being the driver at the collection office of"El Costeño" or "Chipi," and the one who transported him that day, as well as Katerine Andrea Martínez, known as Gabriela.
This last person was the third arrest that occurred in the department of Caquetá, when he was preparing to meet with members apparently from the FARC dissidents who were allegedly linked to the Second Marquetalia.
The fourth person implicated in the case and captured was William Fernando González Cruz, known as"El Hermano." Although his image was not captured on security cameras at the scene of the attack, authorities point to him as the person who facilitated the escape of alias El Costeño and Katerine Andrea Martínez, by picking them up minutes after the crime occurred.
Elder José Arteaga Hernández, alias El Costeño or 'Chipi', identified by the Prosecutor's Office as the mastermind behind the attack against Uribe, was the fifth person arrested in the process. Before his arrest, his name already appeared in judicial records in Caquetá, where he was known as 'El Negro' and had a criminal record of more than 20 years which includes charges for theft, illegal possession of weapons, attempted murder, among others.
Cristian Camilo González Ardila was the last to be formally linked to the case, after voluntarily surrendering to authorities on July 18 and admitting his participation in the attack.
During the hearing, González confessed that his role was to pick up the minor who was supposed to carry out the attack; however, he backed out of the task when he noticed the heavy police presence at the scene.
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