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Strange Case in Cali

I've been trying to keep up with a strange case from Cali (actually Jamundi). Has anyone heard anything new about the following:

In May, 10 drug agents from Dijin were raiding a farm or estate (Parcelacion La Cristalina) near Jamundi, with a civilian informant who told them that there were 220 kilos of cocaine there, belonging to drug capo Diego Montoya. They went to the gate to gain entrance, got out of their cars and told an employee to let them in. The employee called his boss, who said they had to wait.

Minutes later, 15 soldiers from an elite unit (Batallon de Alta Montana) descended on the police, and proceded to open fire, despite the fact that the police were wearing vests and hats identifying them as drug agents. According to witnesses, the police yelled "Don’t shoot, we are police, don’t kill us", but the firing continued for about 30 minutes. Only 2 police managed to pull their handguns.

All 10 police were killed, along with the informant. Most had multiple bullet wounds, some from under 10 meters away, and two of the cops had apparent coup de grace wounds (shots fired from above, while they were on the ground, from close range). Over 200 spent bullets were recovered.

Later, the commander of the soldiers gave an interview stating that it was all the fault of the dead police, giving a bunch of bullshit reasons and ignoring most of the evidence (claiming it was planted and that there was a conspiracy against the army).

Apparently, at the first hearing on the matter, a judge sided with the army and said that charges would not be filed.

Anyone have any more recent news?

By michaelz on Aug 4, 2006, 12:05 in Friendly Talkzone.

toneloc24 says on Aug 4, 2006, 12:36:

What's so stange about this? Step out of USA/Europe thinking mode and think about all of the principals involved. Druglord, 220 tons of coke, local police, and army.....

Druglord pays someone for protection. That someone pushed the button for him. Sound familiar?

"Don't tase me, bro!!!!"

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Miguel says on Aug 4, 2006, 12:53:

It's been said many times "Business as usual", including the way it's still playing out as to who will try the case...

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Atrevido says on Aug 4, 2006, 16:21:

I heard he tried to get moved out of the jail in Palmira but it didn´t work and he´s still there.

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billyb says on Aug 4, 2006, 16:23:

And the judge assigned.. to the case wanted no part of it.

BillyB

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juanalejo says on Aug 4, 2006, 17:21:

Gossip That is how gossip starts: "Apparently, at the first hearing on the matter, a judge sided with the army and said that charges would not be filed." Real Story: President Uribe ordered this case not to be judged by the military justice but by civilian justice (something rich and "uncorrupt" countries should learn....lets say Abugraib). The civilian judge assigned to the case said he had no competence over the case and returned it to the military justice. The military justice said (I would say reluctantly and under higher power pressure) that they had to return it back to the civilian justice. The civil judge finally declared he had been threatened (I wonder how much his head was worth). Finally the civilian justice is taking care of the matter (yes probably lots of money and influence is moving around the case).

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billyb says on Aug 4, 2006, 21:58:

Juanalejo, agreed, but... wouldn't you want to be a fly on the wall at the backroom deliberations?

BillyB

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. says on Aug 5, 2006, 00:09:

Yes, this is quite gossip You should learn a little of spanish and start reading new paper, then you will get very well informed about what is going on. Half of what you are saying is true, you have o say hat the mltars are being prosecuted for the killing of the dijin group. you post something that looks like a hollywood movie and is not like that at all, the goverment has steped on this case. This was a serious agravace by this group of militars there for they are being prosecuted. Juan alejo has said something right and you michael should following. Read the www.eltiempo.com, this is a very good news web site about Colombia and the rest of the world.

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utopiacowboy says on Aug 5, 2006, 09:09:

My wife always reads eltiempo.com even though she is from Medellin. I like to read elcolombiano.com. I doubt many gringos read Colombian newspapers.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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billyb says on Aug 5, 2006, 13:49:

Revista Semana online... is also a good source for in-depth articles.

BillyB

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Atrevido says on Aug 5, 2006, 19:16:

Cowpoke you´ve opened up a whole new can of worms. Now we need an officially sanctioned pole on what foreign online newspapers are read by North Americans and personaly I think elcolombiano.com sucks. The other big city Colombian papers are much better even El Heraldo.

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Miguel says on Aug 6, 2006, 00:21:

I agree, Atrevido EL HERALDO covers Barranquilla and Atlántico very well. I used to like EL TIEMPO, but I don't care for their new online format, although SEMANA still is good.

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Miguel says on Aug 6, 2006, 00:24:

.
.

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Desideria (Moderator) says on Aug 6, 2006, 01:27:

I read El Pais, of course, first, continue with El Tiempo and sometimes El Colombiano. I also read Semana, but only occasionally. Since many of the posters here are not up to reading Spanish-language articles they have to rely on second-hand interpretations or US press reporting which is often very sketchy on Colombian issues.

I read Spanish and I still don't know, exactly, what happened in Jamundí. It's extremely confusing and controversial.

Cheers,
Desi

Embrace your uniqueness. Time is much too short to be living someone
else's life.

-Kobi Yamada

"When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?"(First Witch in Macbeth)

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utopiacowboy says on Aug 6, 2006, 10:46:

I read el colombiano rather than el tiempo because I am interested in Medellin and I have no interest in Bogota. I just read it for local and regional news. Same reason I also read el meridiano de cordoba.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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michaelz says on Aug 6, 2006, 17:56:

thanks desi I do read spanish. In fact, I found out about this case from El-pais. I bought a copy my last time in Cali (to practice reading espanol) and I ran across an article about this case. I have tried to keep up via the internet, but it takes me a LONG time to translate a complicated article in spanish.

It is good to know that the prosecution is moving forward, but there seems to be only 2 possible interpretations:

1. The soldiers were in the pay of the narcotraficantes, and they killed the drug agents for the narcos.

2. The soldiers were honest, and they believed that the drug agents were narcos. In that case, the army has an SOS (shoot on sight) order, so they killed them because they were narcos.

Either way, an army unit that kills 11 people without so much as a "halt, who goes there" is a little much.

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Miguel says on Aug 6, 2006, 18:08:

Your "2." There was strong evidence mentioned in the initial newspaper coverage that the second scenario you refer to is highly unlikely; cell phone calls, text messages, etc.

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