Efraín Quesada Urrego murder in Girón prompts $50 million reward

Efraín Quesada Urrego, a 54‑year‑old inspector of Colombia’s Instituto Nacional Penitenciario y Carcelario (Inpec), was shot dead on 6 August 2024 while riding his motorcycle near the Palogordo prison in Girón, Santander. According to investigators, a couple on a motorcycle carried out the attack: the man drove while the woman fired three to four shots, striking Quesada Urrego in the torso. He was rushed to Clínica Foscal in Floridablanca but died hours later from his injuries.

The Santander governor, Óscar Hernández Durán, announced a reward of up to 50 million Colombian pesos for information that leads to the identification, location and capture of the material and intellectual perpetrators. An extraordinary security council was convened in Girón, and police, army and the CTI of the Fiscalía were tasked with intensifying the investigation. Authorities are also examining possible links to earlier threats against Inpec staff, including a grenade and threatening pamphlet found near the prison on 10 July.

The case has heightened concerns about the safety of prison officials in the region and prompted a coordinated security response.