On Sunday morning, February 25, National Police sources confirmed to EL TIEMPO for the first time: a prominent businessman was caught on drug trafficking charges; In fact, this was a priority of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). From the United States.
(We invite you to read: The largest shipment of cocaine to ever reach the UK came from Colombia).
According to the Colombian Police, This is Ferney de Jesús Cardona Bello, alias Soya, investor and supporter accused of drug trafficking and money laundering for the ‘Gulf clan’. In fact, his capture occurred in the middle of Operation Agamemnon.
(For context, we invite you to read ‘The Wolves’ of the Police, which spearheaded the plot to capture Colombia’s most wanted man).
Cardona Bello is known as Soya precisely because he is a well-known businessman in this sector on the northern coast of the country, but the Police accuse him of leading “narcotics smuggling in the form of container contamination from ports in the Urabá region.” Caribbean coast, It is intended for the United States and Europe and has a traffic capacity of up to 10 tons per month.”
Sources told this newspaper last night that the Chief of the National Police said: General William René Salamanca informed him of the capture of ‘Soya’.‘To the Minister of Defense, Iván Velásquez, for the situation and its importance.
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At that time ‘Soya’ was considered a man trusted by Dairo Antonio Úsuga (the returned ‘Otoniel’) and he “It was reported that up to 50 tons of cocaine were smuggled“said Police Chief General Salamanca in his dialogue with the Minister.
(We invite you to read: Urgent: UNP truck with coca crashed, peace signatory and his guards captured).
“Between 2010 and 2023,” the businessman said in the file against him, to which EL TIEMPO had access. Demonstrated capacity to launder money worth 65 billion pesos through the establishment of shell companiesinvestments in various sectors of the national economy and real estate and personal property in the Antioquia region”.
Accordingly, the Police determined that it was the address of ‘Soya’. Establishment of several paper, date and screen companies in the region and city of Urabá
Medellin; legally represented by family members and trusted collaborators for the purpose of facilitating money laundering activities arising from drug trafficking.
According to the police, the captured man constantly invested in livestock farms, horse farms, football schools in Medellín and Urabá, fuel supply companies and high-end vehicles in order to increase his economic profitability and justify the money he made from drug trafficking.
(You may be interested to read: This is how the ‘invisible drug trafficker’, who sent 4 tons of cocaine a month to the USA, fell).
‘Soya’ was caught on charges of money laundering, illegal enrichment of individuals and conspiracy to commit crimes for the purpose of money laundering. An extradition request is expected to be made by US authorities.
Ferney de Jesús Cardona Bello, alias Soya, began his career as a partner of Nicolás, alias Pueblo, and ‘Chiquito Malo, alias Atilio’. With them he established connections with Mexican, Balkan and Albanian cartels.
“A connection was established between these mafias, offering cocaine shipping services through the Port of Urabá and also selling narcotics from different laboratories in the area,” one of the investigators in charge of the case told this newspaper.
Likewise, he stated: “His favorite places to distribute cocaine were Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, the Netherlands, Antwerp, Barcelona and Valencia (Spain).“.
(You may be interested to read: The head of a powerful gang is urgently transferred to Bogotá: he offered to escape for millions).
Under the alias Nube or Pastor and with the approval of ‘Nicolás’, he received control and exclusivity of the transportation of high volume shipments.
‘Soya’ and his alias Pueblo (Killed in police operation) specialized in contaminating containers towards Central America under the name Papas.
“He valued his wealth under the pseudonym Nicolás. American authorities now have three ‘Soya’ associates to blame,” the source said.
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Source: Exame
