René Higuita loses legal battle over property linked to Medellín Cartel

Colombian football icon René Higuita has been ordered by a court to forfeit a property linked to the notorious Medellín Cartel. The ruling, issued on July 3 by the First Penal Circuit Court Specialized in Asset Forfeiture, declared the house, valued at over 1.2 billion pesos (approximately $300,000 USD), subject to asset forfeiture proceedings.

The property, located in the Las Lomas sector of El Poblado, was acquired by Higuita and his wife, Magnolia Echeverri, in 1992. The court's decision stems from an investigation initiated by a 2017 denunciation. Prosecutors reconstructed the events, indicating that the property was initially owned by Gustavo Cuartas Rendón, an uncle of cartel associates William and Gerardo 'Kiko' Moncada. Cuartas Rendón allegedly used the house to conceal assets acquired through drug trafficking.

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The property had been acquired completely legally, acting in good faith and with resources from his work.

Following Cuartas Rendón's murder by the cartel, his signature was reportedly forged, and the property passed to María Victoria Montoya Álzate. Five months later, Higuita and his wife acquired it through a property exchange. The court acknowledged that Higuita was a third party acting in good faith, but ultimately ruled against him.

In response to the controversy and accusations, Higuita issued a statement asserting the property's legal acquisition using funds from his football career. He explained the transaction involved exchanging two of his own properties for the disputed house. Higuita stated he only learned of the property's alleged ties to the Medellín Cartel several years after the deal was finalized. The case raises questions about due diligence in property transactions involving individuals with past associations, even if unintentional.

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It was only several years after closing the deal that he found out that the property was linked to the activity of the defunct Medellín Cartel.