Colombian Army troops and members of the military’s anti-kidnapping and extortion unit, known as Gaula, stormed a lavish estate in southern Cali to execute an extradition warrant against a man authorities describe as a major drug trafficker from the Valle del Cauca region. In a coordinated operation carried out at the same time in the central department of Cundinamarca, his brother—also allegedly tied to drug trafficking—was arrested as well.
According to investigators, the man identified as Gerley Yepes allegedly ran criminal business ventures with dissident fighters loyal to “Iván Mordisco,” the nom de guerre of a commander who leads a breakaway faction of the former FARC guerrilla group that never accepted the country’s 2016 peace deal. Authorities say the network used ports along Colombia’s Pacific coast to smuggle cocaine into the United States, allegedly coordinating shipments with another criminal structure known as “Carlos Patiño.”
Officials are now digging into Yepes’s finances, which reportedly include a hotel and several nightclubs believed to have been used to launder proceeds from the drug trade. The case highlights how former rebel factions continue to partner with established trafficking networks to keep cocaine flowing north years after the peace accord was signed.
For the full investigative report, read the original story at El Tiempo.
Source: El hotel y las discotecas de señalado socio de las disidencias de 'Iván Mordisco' que enviaba cocaína hacia EE. UU. (eltiempo.com). English version produced with AI assistance.
Image: gruntzooki, BY-SA 2.0 (via Openverse).