Suspect Arrested in Argentina Over Killing of Colombian Presidential Hopeful

A Colombian man suspected of involvement in the killing of Senator Miguel Uribe has been apprehended in Buenos Aires, according to a statement released by the Prosecutor General’s Office in Argentina.

Brayan Ferney Cruz Castillo, a Colombian citizen, was identified as the suspect and will remain in detention pending extradition. The Prosecutor General’s Office stated that Cruz Castillo is believed to have played a logistical role in the assassination of Senator Uribe, who was shot in the head during a campaign event in Bogota in June.

According to the investigation, the attack was carried out by an organized criminal structure involving multiple actors. Evidence suggests that Cruz Castillo may have been involved in the logistical aspects of the attack. The Prosecutor General’s Office credited his arrest to cooperation with Colombian judicial authorities, who had issued an international alert for his capture.

Cruz Castillo had previously entered Argentina illegally and was arrested in connection with a robbery case. He is also believed to have been part of a criminal conspiracy to kill Senator Uribe. The investigation has implicated a local criminal network and several members have been arrested and sentenced.

Senator Uribe, 38, died two months after the shooting. His death was met with shock and widespread condemnation. Colombian prosecutors believe that the local group acted on behalf of a paramilitary faction known as the Second Marquetalia, led by Ivan Marquez, a former commander for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Authorities in Colombia had ordered the capture of seven figures in the Second Marquetalia in March in connection with the assassination.

Source: Al Jazeera