Colombian authorities have identified a lawyer accused of feeding confidential legal information to a powerful drug-trafficking network, according to an internal document from the country’s Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía General) dated August 10. The report names the attorney and alleges she warned cartel figures about ongoing criminal cases and government efforts to seize their illicit fortunes.
The case first drew attention more than a year ago, when the traffickers learned they were under investigation. One of the kingpins reportedly revealed that someone had demanded roughly 700 million Colombian pesos—about $175,000—in exchange for supposedly getting their case dismissed within the prosecutor’s office.
The scandal has drawn national attention in Colombia partly because it was referenced by Federico “Fico” Gutiérrez, the former mayor of Medellín and a prominent presidential candidate, underscoring concerns about corruption reaching into the justice system. According to reports, the lawyer has since been identified by former clients tied to organized crime, and US authorities, including the FBI, are said to be pursuing her, raising the possibility of an eventual extradition request.
The case highlights ongoing worries about infiltration of Colombia’s legal institutions by drug-trafficking organizations seeking to shield their assets and operations from prosecution.
To read the full investigation and additional details, check out the original report from El Tiempo.
Source: Lo que se sabe de la abogada que el FBI busca por filtrar datos a la mafia en caso del que habló 'Fico' Gutiérrez (eltiempo.com). English version produced with AI assistance.
Image: weiss_paarz_photos, BY-SA 2.0 (via Openverse).