A judge ordered the deprivation of liberty of José Nibardo Marín, who is known by the aliases of “El Abogado”, “Pablo”, “Jota”, “El Indio”, “Top” or “Don José”, alleged leader of the wing drug trafficker of the Clan del Golfo and responsible for storing tons of cocaine hydrochloride in coastal areas of Bolívar and Magdalena, and coordinating their departure through the ports or in speedboats bound for the United States and Central American countries, according to the Prosecutor’s Office this Saturday.
“El Abogado” was reportedly appointed by Dairo Antonio Úsuga David, alias “Otoniel”, the extradited and former top leader of the ‘Clan del Golfo’, as the main coordinator of drug trafficking activities in the north of the country and the liaison with other criminal structures of transnational scope, after the capture in Rionegro – Antioquia, of Juan José Valencia Zuluaga, alias “Falcon” or “Andrea” in May 2021.
According to the investigations, this man allegedly maintained direct contact with the Mexican cartels of Jalisco and Nueva Generación. In addition, he would be directly responsible for more than a ton of cocaine that was seized between 2019 and 2023, in four different procedures. Precisely, the most recent discovery, of 140 kilograms of the illicit substance, occurred in a warehouse at the Cartagena maritime terminal.
José Nibardo was captured in a joint action by the Prosecutor’s Office and the DIJIN of the National Police in Castilla La Nueva in the department of Meta, where he remained hidden for almost two years to avoid detection by the authorities, after learning of the judicial order that weighed against him. In the procedure, two cell phones with relevant information about other illegal events in which he would have participated were seized.
According to the records, alias “Don José” would have demobilized from the Mining Block of the extinct United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) in 2006, through a demobilization and weapons lay-off ceremony, in which more than 2,700 members were present. of the organization. Additionally, the public ministry learned that he was arrested for the murder of an 11-year-old boy, in 2009; and he was linked to the ‘Clan del Golfo’, in 2012.
Due to the above, a prosecutor from the Specialized Directorate against Criminal Organizations charged him with the crimes of conspiracy to commit an aggravated crime; and trafficking, manufacture and possession of narcotics, charges that were not accepted by the defendant, who must comply with the measure of deprivation of liberty in the La Picota prison, in Bogotá.