Police captured six alleged members of criminal gang “Los Rastrojos” in northern Colombia, local media reported Sunday.
The police initially reported the arrest of Lacides Manuel Vergara Lobo, alias “Felipe,” who is accused of running the Rastrojos’ drug trafficking operations in the north of the country.
Later, authorities said that among those arrested was also Enrique Ruiz Valverde, alias “El Martillo”, Felipe’s alleged military commander.
The two are accused of over 50 killings including six massacres that occurred during their time fighting as paramilitaries for the AUC.
The group was arrested at a farmhouse in Copacabana, a municipality just outside Medellin. Police said the group was hiding following a court summons for suspected conspiracy to commit murder.
One member of the group, Orlando Manuel Reyes Montalvo, was wounded during the arrest.
Police said the arrests are part of an operation to dismantle an alliance between Los Rastrojos and drug gang “Los Paisas”. Police suspect the two gangs have been working together to prevent territorial incursions by rival traffickers “Los Urabeños”