Colombia targets organized crime with new convictions and arrests

Colombian authorities have secured convictions and made significant arrests involving organized crime figures. In the Tolima department, a judge sentenced Eduardo Chala Rojas, known as ‘Alacrán’, to 54 months in prison. Rojas was found guilty of the illegal manufacture, trafficking, and possession of firearms and ammunition. The sentencing follows an investigation triggered by complaints from local merchants and cattle ranchers in San Luis, who reported death threats and extortion attempts by individuals claiming to represent the Gaitanista National Army (EGC).

In a separate development, authorities have identified Juan Carlos Vacca Castillo, alias ‘Dímax’, as a high-ranking criminal figure involved in drug trafficking, extortion, and homicide. Castillo, who faces a 41-year prison sentence, was reportedly captured in Panama. His case has drawn scrutiny due to allegations that he manipulated his identity by claiming membership in various indigenous communities, including the Awá people in Nariño, in an attempt to secure legal advantages and evade his sentence.