Colombian officials have extradited a man accused of belonging to a criminal organization responsible for stealing more than $4.4 million (about 14 billion Colombian pesos) worth of gold, diamonds, and luxury watches from jewelry stores in the United States.
The suspect, identified as Elvis Guevara, was wanted by the FBI, which had been investigating the theft ring throughout 2025. During that probe, investigators also linked him to a separate criminal network operating in Bogotá that carries out so-called “paseos millonarios” — a local term for a violent scheme in which victims are kidnapped in a taxi or rideshare vehicle and forced to withdraw large sums of cash from ATMs before being released or robbed of their belongings. According to authorities, that Bogotá-based gang is believed to still be active.
Investigators are now trying to determine how Guevara was able to move freely through the Colombian capital, driving a taxi allegedly used in these robbery schemes, even though he had reportedly already been captured once before. That detail has raised questions about possible gaps in Colombia’s judicial or law enforcement follow-up procedures.
Guevara has now been handed over to U.S. authorities, where he is expected to face charges tied to the jewelry theft operation. For the full details of the case, read the original report from El Tiempo.
Source: El ladrón de joyas en EE. UU. que andaba en un taxi en Bogotá con el que ejecutaban paseos millonarios: extraditado (eltiempo.com). English version produced with AI assistance.
Image: phoneymanflickr, BY 2.0 (via Openverse).