In the Palogordo maximum security prison in Girón Santander, guards from Inpec and members of the Police Gaula raided the cell of Ober Ricardo Martínez Gutiérrez, also known as el Negro Ober. During the search, the authorities looked for the cell phone used to record a death threat once morest merchants, prosecutors, and police in Barranquilla and other regions of the country. They also found a notebook allegedly containing information on possible victims of extortion. In a video, Ober threatened to harm innocent people in retaliation for his wife’s capture. Vanessa Martínez Cantillo, aka Johana or Vanesa, his wife’s alleged successor as financial leader of Los Rastrojos Costeños, was subsequently captured in Bogotá. In response to Ober’s threats, Inpec took measures to investigate officials responsible for guarding him in the prison and tighten security. The investigation might impact up to 15 Inpec officials, including guards and administrative staff. The embassy will be involved in the rigorous guarding of high-level criminals, and technological tools such as cameras will be used to provide better control.
As announced by Colonel Daniel Gutiérrez, director of Inpec, the cell where the Ober Ricardo Martínez Gutiérrez, alias el Negro Ober, in the maximum security prison of Palogordo, in the municipality of Girón Santander, was raided by guards from the institution and uniformed members of the Police Gaula.
“He’s squeezing me,” Black Ober is heard saying. Immediately the uniformed man answers, “stay still, stop manoeuvring,” and the offender replies: “no, stay still, I only ask for respect, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Martínez Gutiérrez’s cell was thoroughly searched in every corner, the Gaula uniforms took out (mats, clothes, toiletries, among others) and they turned everything around looking for the cell phone with which the death threat that was made public this Saturday, March 25, was recorded once morest the merchants, prosecutors and police of Barranquilla and other regions of the country.
Likewise, it is observed that the authorities found a notebook where, presumably, there would be important information regarding possible victims of extortion.
“They even messed with my mom, they messed with my wife, the notebook that she carries there is my family, my wife’s notes. They can split the entire block to see if I can blow myself up tomorrow”, says alias Negro Ober.
Once the search operation is complete, Ober Ricardo Martínez Gutiérrez was transferred to an isolation cell, where he remained, according to Inpec, completely incommunicado. This as a preventive measure and while it is defined whether he will be transferred once more to another prison in the country.
This 28-year-old woman was captured in an apartment in the Roma neighborhood, in the town of Kennedy in Bogotá, as the alleged perpetrator of the crimes of conspiracy to commit a crime and extortion. However, according to the authorities, His criminal act directly affects the capital of the Atlantic.
After this fact, alias Negro Ober, through a video, assured that he would retaliate once morest innocent people in the city of Barraquilla. “If the Prosecutor’s Office doesn’t mind taking my innocent people, like my wife, I won’t mind killing the police either. I am going to kill you merchant by merchant in San Martín, Bogotá, Villavicencio, Soledad and Barranquilla”, expressed this man, one of the top leaders of Los Rastrojos Costeños.
And ending by saying that: “what is still is left still. If you mess with innocent people, I also mess with innocent people and it’s going to be the merchants, they’re going to pay me. there they will cry”.
Alias the Black Ober vowed to kill innocent merchants as revenge for his wife’s capture
“My wife is not going to be paid for my actions, I pay and take responsibility for my actions; My wife has nothing to do with anything, “she said and immediately added”Prosecutor Pecci died, any prosecutor can also die. I’m determined to do whatever it takes, either release my wife or I’ll end it all, God bless you”.
Likewise, this subject maintained that now the prosecutors should wear bulletproof vests and seek protection. However, the threats were not only for the officials of the judicial branch, alias Negro Ober also assured that he will retaliate once morest the Police, merchants and the population of the Atlantic in general.
“If the Prosecutor’s Office doesn’t mind taking my innocent people, like my wife, I won’t mind killing the police either. I am going to kill you merchant by merchant in San Martín, Bogotá, Villavicencio, Soledad and Barranquilla”, expressed this man, one of the top leaders of Los Rastrojos Costeños.
This was the capture of alias Johana
Vanessa Martínez Cantillo, alias Johana or Vanesa, was captured in the middle of an operation carried out in a popular neighborhood of Bogotá. However, according to the authorities, her criminal act directly affects the capital of the Atlantic, since she was the one who was left in charge of the criminal income once her husband was captured.
“In the framework of the fight once morest extortion, the Metropolitan Police of Barranquilla, through the Gaula Elite, Gaula Atlántico and Special Operations Commandos, captured Julieth Vanessa Martínez Cantillo, alias Johana or Vanesa, alleged financial leader of Los Rastrojos Costeños and sentimental partner of alias Negro Ober, top ringleader of this criminal structure,” the authorities said.
“In the framework of the fight once morest extortion, the Metropolitan Police of Barranquilla, through the Gaula Elite, Gaula Atlántico and Special Operations Commandos, captured Julieth Vanessa Martínez Cantillo, alias Johana or Vanesa, alleged financial leader of Los Rastrojos Costeños and sentimental partner of alias Negro Ober, top ringleader of this criminal structure,” the authorities said.
The measures that Inpec took following the threats from alias Negro Ober
Colonel Daniel Gutiérrez, director of Inpec, announced the measures they took following learning of the videos of Negro Ober’s threats to Atlantic merchants.
Considering that the mode of operation of alias Negro Ober has been repetitive despite being deprived of liberty, the director of Inpec assured that will report the situation to the Attorney General’s Office so that the guards in charge of guarding this subject are investigated and thus be able to determine their responsibility in events like this.
“We have two days lines to act, the investigative part with the Police and the Prosecutor’s Office; but we are also making a complaint to the Attorney General’s Office to start investigating all the officials who are doing these bad practices that go once morest transparency and that allow this criminal to feel at home having jewelry, cell phones and marijuana ”, Gutierrez added.
Likewise, the official acknowledged that in the country’s penitentiary centers “there is a lot of corruption, in this one specifically there will be a romp and If it is necessary to change and remove officials, it will be done, because we cannot allow this situation to continue like this”, asserted the director.
The investigation would splash, at least, 15 Inpec officials between guards and administrative staff of the prison, since they are the ones who must enforce the rules within the prison, which clearly alias Negro Ober did not comply and otherwise imposed his law.
Also, Colonel Daniel Gutiérrez indicated that management is being carried out with the Embassy to be able to guard criminals of this level with greater rigor and thus prevent events such as the one that occurred in the last hours.
“Efforts will be articulated to build cells that can be guarded in a more technical way, that there is no participation of men and women, but that there are more cameras and technological tools that will allow more control,” he pointed out.
Finally, Colonel Gutiérrez sent a forceful message to the criminals who, as the alias Negro Ober, intends to generate anxiety among the community and disrupt public order in the different regions of the country, in this specific case in Barranquilla.
The threat of violence and extortion from notorious criminal leader Negro Ober and his associates is a cause for serious concern in the Atlantic region and beyond. The recent raid on his cell and the capture of his financial leader, Johana or Vanessa, represent important steps towards shutting down this criminal organization. However, the actions of some Inpec officials who have enabled this behavior cannot go unaddressed. The measures being taken to investigate and remove any corrupt officials and improve security technology within the prisons are welcome, but more must be done to ensure that the public can feel safe from the threats of organized crime. The community must also play a role in speaking out once morest these criminals and supporting the agencies working to bring them to justice. We hope that the authorities will continue to work tirelessly to dismantle this and other criminal organizations, and that citizens can feel safe in their daily lives.