Police in Colombia’s second largest city Medellin say they arrested 75 alleged gang members in the past week.
The detainees are alleged to be members of the criminal organizations of paramilitary bosses Maximiliano Bonilla, alias “Valenciano,” and Erickson Vargas, alias “Sebastian,” who are caught up in a battle for control over the city’s underworld.
According to a press release, the arrests are part of a national offensive against drug trafficking gangs in which 137 alleged criminals were arrested.
Among the arrested is Juan Guillermo Franco Lujan, alleged leader of the “La Sexta” gang, which is active in the troubled Comuna 13 neighborhood.
Gangs in Medellin are believed to have between 3,000 and 5,000 members, and are held responsible for the wave of violence that has killed 3,000 in the city over the past two years.