INPEC official assassinated in Itagüí, Colombia

Wilber Ferney Martínez Sana, an official of the National Penitentiary and Prison Institute (INPEC), was shot and killed on Thursday morning in Itagüí, Antioquia. The attack occurred around 6:10 a.m. as Martínez Sana was heading to his shift at the La Paz maximum-security prison.

Armed men intercepted the official and fired multiple shots before fleeing. Following the incident, authorities located and seized a taxi in the Guayabal neighborhood of Medellín, which was allegedly used by two suspects to escape. A firearm was also recovered during the operation.

Investigators are considering whether the murder is a retaliation for the recent mass transfer of over one hundred high-profile inmates from La Paz prison. These transfers included alleged members of criminal organizations active in the Aburrá Valley, such as ‘La Oficina de Envigado’. The Sijín investigative unit is currently reviewing security footage and forensic evidence.