An irate state prosecutor chastised four of the individuals who were allegedly engaged in Luis Diaz’s father’s kidnapping for their laughter in court.
When the suspected kidnappers of Liverpool player Luis Diaz’s father appeared before a judge on Thursday, an enraged state prosecutor begged them to stop laughing.
During a hearing to determine whether they should be held in jail awaiting an ongoing criminal investigation, the accused were caught on camera smirking and arguing their innocence. Their attitude infuriated a state prosecutor, who remarked, “It appears the detainees find this funny.” I tell them to stop laughing and behave more respectfully. This is a significant issue.
During the hearing in Riohacha, Colombia, it became clear that the prosecution wanted to show that the men’s desire to profit from Luis Manuel Diaz’s kidnapping was the driving force behind it. The four suspects have been charged with a range of offenses, including aggravated kidnapping with the intent to extort. One of the four men, according to the prosecution, entered Mr. Diaz’s inner circle by assuming the identity of a football trainer in order to secure employment at the soccer school he owns.
The men are identified as Marlon Rafael Brito Bolivar, also known as Marlon; Brayan Javier Morales Sanjuan, also known as Brayan or Negro; Andrys Alcides Bolivar Bolivar, also known as Andrys; and Yerdinson Bolivar Bolivar, also known as “Arenca” or “Areca.” The state prosecutor, who was present at the hearing on Thursday, stated that he was requesting preventative custody for the men. He called them a “danger to society,” claimed they were a flight risk, and said they shouldn’t be released on bond.
They have been recognized by Colombian authorities as belonging to the Los Primos gang, also known as The Cousins in English.
They have charged them with carrying out the kidnapping and delivering Mr. Diaz to the Northern War Front, a local branch of the ELN, a left-wing insurgent organization.
Said to specialize in drug trafficking, the Los Primos gang has been linked to the infamous Gulf Clan, whose former leader Dairo Antonio Usaga was formerly regarded as one of the most dangerous drug lords in the world. Usaga, also known as Otoniel, admitted pleas to serious drug trafficking charges in August and was given a 45-year prison term in the United States.
None of the four individuals whose arrests were made public by Colombian authorities last Saturday showed that they would enter a guilty plea or maintain their innocence. The court declared that he will make his decision on their release on conditional bail or placement in jail known by next Monday.
As part of a “covert infiltration,” Yerdinson Bolivar has been named as the person who allegedly had the responsibility of monitoring the father of the Liverpool winger in order to compile a picture of his activities once he started working as a trainer at his football school in Barrancas. This week, Colombian media released a disturbing image showing him strolling behind dad Diaz, who appeared oblivious to the other man’s presence.
It was unclear at the time the picture was taken. Marlon Rafael Brito Bolivar and Brayan Javier Morales Sanjuan, the other two suspects, are claimed to have rode the motorcycles that were used to kidnap Diaz and his wife Cilenis Maralunda, who was saved shortly after, while they were purchasing water melons in their hometown.
The fourth man, Andrys Alcides Bolivar Bolivar, works as a currency exchange worker and has been identified as the operation’s leader. He arranged for Mr. Diaz to be turned over to the ELN, which then assumed responsibility for holding him captive in what the police have called a “criminal outsourcing” situation.
According to local accounts, the ELN is supposedly using Alcides’ group as a front to hide their involvement in the crime. The 58-year-old Mr. Diaz was freed last Thursday after a 13-day ordeal, and Colombian authorities then made the announcement about the arrests.
“We launched Operation Freedom on the day of the kidnapping, which allowed us to identify the alleged intellectual and material authors, among them the criminal group called ‘Los Primos,’ who offend using the ‘criminal outsourcing’ method,” said William Salamanca, the chief of police.
“We apprehended four persons who were allegedly responsible for the kidnapping of Luis Manuel Diaz during the course of the operation.”
Attorney General Francisco Barbosa declared, “We have made good on our pledge and less than 72 hours after Mr. Luis Manuel Diaz, the father of the footballer Luis Diaz, recovered his freedom we have captured the kidnappers,” two days after the father of Luis Diaz was liberated.
