The two main leaders of the “Rastrojos” drug gang, who are brothers, are seeking to broker a deal with United States authorities over their surrender, reported Colombian media late Monday.
Luis Enrique Calle Serna and Javier Antonio Calle Serna, alias “Los Comba,” have been revealed by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos to be seeking reduced sentences for cooperating, following their indictment by a New York court on drug trafficking offences in June 2011.
Santos said, “The pressure which has been exerted and will continue to be exerted on all crime and any criminals, is what has led the brothers Comba to want to negotiate their surrender.”
In making the announcement, Santos did not acknowledge the impact of the growth of rival drug gang the “Urabeños,” whose encroachment upon the Rastrojos traditional areas of influence on the Pacific Coast and in the central Department of Antioquia has increased pressure on its leadership structure.
It is believed that Luis Calle Serna entered the criminal underworld through his older brother Javier, who started out as a fighter in the now-defunct Popular Liberation Army guerrilla group, before becoming an enforcer and hit man for the Norte del Valle Cartel, remnants of which went on to form the Rastrojos.
The Rastrojos have traditionally had a stranglehold over the Pacific Coast drug distribution points and worked closely with the powerful Mexican Sinaloa cartel.
This is not the first time news of Luis Enrique Calle Serna surrendering to U.S. authorities, with similar reports emerging in August 2011. Ultimately, at that time, no surrender occurred.