Medellin authorities have targeted Henry de Jesus Lopez, alias “Mi Sangre,” after he allegedly sent death threats to a journalist.
Mary Luz Avendaño, a journalist for El Espectador, received threats from Mi Sangre after she published articles revealing his identity and detailing the ties between him and members of the Medellin police.
“I began to get warning messages, especially from the sources that gave me information. They told me it was serious, that I should take care of myself, that they had heard comments and that I could be hurt.”
According to General Cesar Pinzon, the head of the police’s narcotics division, Mi Sangre is one of the most dangerous drug lords and paramilitary members in Medellin.
Mi Sangre belongs to the Office of Envigado, the drug trafficking organization formed from the Medellin Cartel after the death of Pablo Escobar.
An official complaint has been made to authorities by the Foundation of the Freedom of Press, an organization dedicated to protecting journalists’ freedom of speech.
Avendaño has since been placed under police protection.