Authorities have captured another alleged participant in the attack against Colombia’s former minister Fernando Londoño Hoyos.
Members of Colombia’s Counter-terrorism Committee, the Technical Investigation Team (CTI), captured Mario Arturo Ramos in Monteria of the northern Cordoba department Thursday morning.
According to authorities, Ramos had received the bomb in Bogota days before the attack was made against the ex-minister last May 15 that left two dead and 48 seriously injured.
A 16-year old suspect, who is thought to be part of the Cali criminal gang “El Parche de Zuley,” was accused of sticking the bomb on the armored car which was carrying Loñdono and his four escorts.
With the capture of Ramos, six people have now been detained in the investigation of the attack, including four adults and one minor. Ramos will be transported to Bogota Thursday afternoon.
According to newspaper El Espectador, investigations have revealed that the criminals involved would have allegedly received at least $550 thousand for the attack, which had apparently been planned and executed by three criminal organizations working together.
FARC guerrillas have denied any participation in the attack against Londoño, but authorities are still investigating if the act had been perpetrated by criminal groups in service of Colombia’s largest rebel group.
Prosecutor General Eduardo Montealegre has said it is a credible premise that the arrested men operate in the same way as a criminal gang, but it has not been proven that they are members of the FARC. Authorities have been careful about placing blame on the guerrilla group for lack of evidence.
Fernando Londoño is the former Interior Minister and close ally to former President Alvaro Uribe. He had allegedly been a target of FARC threats in the past.
