Colombia arrests retired colonel for crimes against two sisters

Wilson Humberto Velandia Serrano, a retired Army colonel, has been arrested in Medellín and ordered to undergo preventive detention in prison. He is accused of participating in the kidnapping, sexual violence, torture, homicide, and forced disappearance of two sisters, aged 17 and 19, in Granada, Antioquia.

The crimes occurred between February 21 and 22, 2003. According to the Attorney General's Office, members of the Frente Batallas del Santuario, part of the AUC's Bloque Metro, intercepted the victims in the main plaza of Granada and moved them to a residence.

At the time, Velandia Serrano was a lieutenant in the No. 4 Artillery Battalion. Investigators allege he arrived at the location and directly participated in the assaults. Specifically, the investigation claims he took the younger sister to a bathroom where he allegedly sexually assaulted her, while the other sister was subjected to various abuses by other men present.