Extortion Ring Busted in Barranquilla: Six Suspects Detained for Pressuring Merchants

Barranquilla police have arrested six individuals accused of extorting merchants in the city center and southern areas. The suspects allegedly intimidated business owners and demanded money, impacting various sectors.

Units from the Gaula, in coordination with the Attorney General's Office, captured five individuals in flagrante delicto and one more with an arrest warrant. Operations took place in neighborhoods like La Paz, Pinar del Río, La Magdalena, El Boliche, and the municipality of Malambo. The detainees are believed to have been extorting merchants in the city's south-eastern, south-western, and central zones, areas historically affected by extortion.

Authorities stated that these arrests directly impact two major criminal structures operating in Barranquilla: 'Los Costeños' and 'Los Pepes.' These organizations have been involved in violent disputes over control of illegal economies, particularly drug trafficking and extortion. The operations also led to the seizure of cash, four cell phones, and a motorcycle suspected of being used in extortion cases. The arrested individuals collectively have five prior judicial records for offenses including illegal arms possession, criminal conspiracy, drug trafficking, and extortion.

These groups have influence in Barranquilla and neighboring municipalities like Soledad and Malambo, where they have established systematic collection networks targeting merchants, transporters, and small business owners. Judicial investigations indicate these structures can collect millions of pesos weekly through extortion, making it a primary source of funding. Their origins are tied to the fragmentation of older criminal organizations and historical control of illegal markets in the Caribbean region.