Summer 1995

ARREST OF CALI LEADERS

During the summer of 1995, six top leaders of the Cali mafia surrendered or were arrested by Colombian authorities under the leadership of CNP Director General Rosso Serrano, and the Cali mafia began to collapse. The arrest of the entire hierarchy of the wealthiest and most powerful international criminal organization was the most significant enforcement action taken against organized crime leaders since the Apalachin Gangster Raid in 1957 that exposed the existance and power of organized crime syndicates in the United States.

On June 9, 1995, Gilberto Rodriguez-Orejuela was arrested by the Colombian National Police (CNP) during a house raid in Cali. When the police searched the home several days earlier, Rodriguez-Orejeula hid in a hollowed-out bathroom cabinet with an oxygen tank. The CNP’s excellent police work led to his arrest. After he was taken into custody, police discovered that he had a copy of an unclassified DEA report titled “The Kings of Cocaine” that had been translated into Spanish. He was sentenced to a prison term of 13 years.

On June 19, 1995, Henry Loiaza-Ceballos, who had overseen the mafia’s military infrastructure, surrendered to police. He was considered one of the most violent members of the Cali drug mafia and was linked to at least three massacres in Colombia.

On June 24, 1995, Victor Julio Patino-Fomeque, who was responsible for ensuring the security and effectiveness of the mafia’s maritime operations, also surrendered and was sentenced to 12 years behind bars.

On July 4, 1995, Jose Santacruz-Londono, the number three leader in the Cali mafia, was arrested by the CNP as he dined with associates at a Bogota steak house. He was never sentenced because he escaped from prison and was killed in March 1996 during a confrontation with the CNP.

Finally, on August 6, 1995, Miguel Rodriguez-Orejuela, the brother of Gilberto, was arrested when the CNP broke down the door of his apartment and found him hiding in a secret closet during another house raid. He was sentenced to 21 years.

Less than one year later, there were two more arrests of major Cali mafia leaders. In March 1996, Juan Carlos “Chupeta” Ramirez-Abadia, surrendered to Colombian authorities and was later sentenced to 24 years in prison.

On September 1, 1996, Helmer “Pacho” Herrera-Buitrago surrendered to Colombian authorities. He was one of the charter members of the Cali mafia and was the remaining “Kingpin” being sought by Colombian authorities. He was sentenced to six years in prison.

These arrests marked the beginning of the decline of the Cali mafia and were the results of extensive investigation by the DEA. However, the investigations of the Cali mafia would not have been as successful if not for the outstanding efforts of the CNP. Remarking on the CNP’s contributions to combatting the drug problem in Colombia, Administrator Constantine remarked in 1998, “No one has sacrificed more than the Colombian National Police. At great sacrifice to themselves, and in the face of extraordinary temptations for corruption, General Rosso Serrano and his brave law enforcement officers have fought the powerful drug traffickers in Colombia.”