BOGOTA, COLOMBIA: A man nicknamed Harry Potter has been extradited to the US for drugging, kidnapping, and robbing two US soldiers in Colombia. Jeffersson Arango Castellanos, 35, appeared in court on May 5, after admitting to the assault of the soldiers identified as EL and LG, who were stationed in Bogota in March 2020.
The victims were drugged with benzodiazepines at a bar, as stated in an FBI affidavit. They were then robbed of their money, cards, phones, and personal belongings. Arango, along with two others, is accused of being part of a group called Los Tomaseros, which allegedly drugged victims at bars by spiking their drinks. Apparently, Arango frequently posed as "Harry Potter."
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What really happened?
Arango and his fellow gang members' criminal scheme came to light following the death of Alexandra Anaya, a woman who reportedly overdosed on a drug believed to have been administered by the group. The victim was the sister of a former Colombian prosecutor. Arango and the other suspects could potentially face life imprisonment if convicted. His federal defender, Eric Cohen, filed a document with the court stating that his client would exercise his right to remain silent "with respect to any and all questioning or interrogation," as per Daily Mail.
Surveillance footage captured Arango and an accomplice, Kenny Julieth Uribe, entering a bar in Bogota's Zone T prior to the events leading to the abduction of the soldiers on the evening of March 5, 2020. One of the soldiers was seen dancing with a woman in the bar before Arango intervened and led him to the back of the establishment. Later, one soldier was observed leaving the bar while appearing intoxicated, followed by Arango. The suspect then returned to the bar alone wearing different clothing. Subsequently, both soldiers were seen walking with Arango and Uribe, with one soldier struggling to maintain balance.
Colombian police bugged gang for evidence
They were later seen getting into a car, driven by Arango, while Uribe accompanied them. Surveillance footage revealed Arango and Uribe using credit and debit cards at various ATMs during the early hours of March 6. Later that morning, they were observed using one of the soldiers' American Express credit cards for payment at a shopping mall cafe. Arango was identified through surveillance footage, leading Colombian police to monitor his phone conversations. Intercepted calls between Arango, Uribe, and another alleged conspirator, Pedro Jose Silva Ochoa, suggested a pattern of drugging and robbing people at bars in Bogota.
Arango admitted to drugging and robbing the soldiers in an interview conducted by an FBI agent in Bogota, in December 2020. He claimed that Silva drove the car on the night of the abduction, and he and Uribe targeted victims based on their appearance and behavior. Arango stated that he had shared cocaine with one of the soldiers in the bathroom, but subsequent tests did not confirm the presence of the drug in the soldier's system.
Arango further claimed that he obtained one of the soldier's PIN numbers by pretending to process a payment, using a cell phone as a fake credit card machine. He dropped off the soldiers at different locations during the early hours of March 6. The Office of the Attorney General of Colombia shared surveillance video showing a man stopping a car, removing one of the soldiers from the vehicle, and abandoning him on the street. While Arango has been extradited to the US, court documents do not show Uribe or Silva have been extradited.
