BOGOTA ( Associated Press) — A high-ranking Colombian police officer has presented himself to his country’s officials at the consulate in Mexico City. Dismissed Colonel Benjamin Núñez Jaramillo—accused of allegedly killing three youths during an operation reported to have killed three youths during an operation—arrives in Colombia in custody.
Núñez Jaramillo was a fugitive from Colombian justice and wanted through a red notice from Interpol. His defense attorney told a judge in recent days that Nuñez would turn himself in this week to answer questions in the criminal proceedings.
Migration Colombia reported through its press office that the above arrived on a commercial flight to Bogotá before the authorities were made available for the officialization of his capture.
Carlos Alberto Ibáñez, José Carlos Arevalo and Jesus David Díaz—who were between 18 and 26 years old—were killed on July 25 in Sucre in the Colombian Caribbean, possibly by police officers led by Núñez Jaramillo.
The prosecutor’s office has indicated that the victims were detained on the street by the police during a control operation. It added that he was later forced to lie on the ground, where he was beaten and stabbed. He said that he had been accused “presumably and without any basis” of involvement in the death of agent Diego Felipe Ruiz, which occurred a few minutes earlier in the area, allegedly by the Clan del Golfo cartel.
Relatives of the victims and defense lawyers have said that the three youths did not belong to any illegal armed group.
The case was widely denounced in Colombia, and the Director of Police, General Henry Sanabria, apologized to the families of the victims.
Another 10 policemen were held for their alleged involvement in the crimes. None pleaded guilty to the charges, which include murder, torture, illegal deprivation of liberty and tampering with evidence.
A policeman told officers during questioning that the person who shot the youths was Colonel Nuñez. The judge said during the hearing that he “shot one of them straight away” and asked the other two to “lie down before shooting them.”
The judge also pointed out that the results of the autopsy and ballistics report indicated that the youths admitted to the hospital had multiple wounds from a firearm projectile and had died “instantly”. In addition, he received injuries from sharp weapons and physical violence that may have been used to immobilize him and leave him defenseless.
