Candles, portraits, religious figures, portraits, flowers and dolls were the altars that Colombian police found when they arrested alias “Al Qaeda” and four other suspected criminals.

One of those altars featured the image of “Santa Muerte,” leading authorities to suspect that the subject and his criminal organization were involved with Santeria.

Alias ​​”Al Qaeda” is linked to the gang “Los Costeños” and, along with the rest of those arrested, is part of the balance sheet of a police operation being carried out in Barranquilla, in the development of “an investigation by the Gaula police and the intelligence department, in coordination with the prosecutor’s office,” reported El Heraldo on Monday, July 17, 2023.

This subject and its alleged accomplices are linked to a spate of extortion and attacks on businesses in Barranquilla, Diario La Libertad reported.

‘I don’t know what they’re talking about’: Police officer swallowed extortion bills and nearly choked

How alias “Al Qaeda” operated

The extortions, for which they are held responsible, were suffered -describes El Heraldo citing the authority- “merchants from the southeast and the center of the capital of Atlántico, the owners of gas stations (petrol stations), shopkeepers, fruit wholesalers, transporters, liquor stores, among others.

These criminal actions were apparently directed by “Al Qaeda”, branded as the head of an arm of the “Los Costeños” gang, where aliases “JJ” and “Cachetes” are in charge, the newspaper La Libertad explained.

Under the coordination of the subject “Al Qaeda,” that medium continues, were aliases “Shakur,” who they say “carried out the attacks”; ‘Melenita’, rode the motorcycles; and ‘Veneco’ and ‘Estrella’ were the ones who delivered the pamphlets and carried out the extortions.

The photo of the silhouette of the “holy death”: doctor shows on TikTok the image taken in an operating room that horrified everyone

Santeria and increased extortion

The Barranquilla newspaper reported that investigators reported finding a room where “Los Costeños” apparently had to perform santeria rituals.

There, it is believed that they entrusted themselves to “Santa Muerte” and asked for protection in carrying out their crimes, they added.

Neither candles nor rites worked and authorities told El Heraldo that “none of this worked for these defendants to evade police actions.”

After the attacks on a nightclub that took place on June 11 and 25, the days of this structure considered “Los Costeños”, under the command of “Al Qaeda”, were numbered.

In early July, the EFE news agency reported that Barranquilla, “Colombia’s fourth largest city, was experiencing an increase in insecurity and violence”.

Racketeering cases grew by an outrageous 520% ​​in six months, Diario Libre published, citing the Spanish agency with figures from the representative of the coastal city, Miguel Ángel Alzate.