‘Medellin crime bosses’ transferred to other Colombia prisons

Imprisoned “leaders” of Medellin crime syndicate, “Oficina de Envigado,” have been transferred to maximum security prisons in other parts of Colombia after reports surfaced about continued criminal activities within the prison walls.

A total of 19 alleged Oficina leaders were transferred to prisons outside of the northwestern Antioquia department, where Medellin is located.

Among the prisoners were alias “Beto,” a presumed Oficina leader sentenced to nine years in prison, alias “Asier,” who is serving a six year prison sentence and alias “Batola,” an alleged member of the “Oficina del 12” gang.

PROFILE: Oficina de Envigado

The Oficina de Envigado, named after the municipality where it was born, is Medellin’s largest crime syndicate. It was originally formed as an assassination branch of Pablo Escobar‘s Medellin cartel. After the death of Escobar in 1993, the Oficina became largely independent and overtook many of the defunct cartel’s extortion, money laundering and drug trafficking rackets.

MORE:‘Captured Medellin crime boss was seeking deal with neo-paramilitaries’

Sources

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