Colombian authorities launched a manhunt for two suspects after a grenade was tossed inside a shipping and transportation company in Bogotá, the country’s capital.
Surveillance video showed a suspect approaching a window at Wed Envios in the Bogotá northern neighborhood of Usaquén and struggling to remove the explosive’s pin before he opens a door and tosses it inside.
The man took off running and disappeared from the camera’s view before escaping with his accomplice aboard a motorcycle.
A bomb unit was called and was able to remove the grenade, which didn’t detonate.
The shipping center’s general manager, Diego Vélez, told El Espectador newspaper that he had been the victim of various extortion attempts by a criminal organization allegedly operated by Venezuelans.
A suspect flees from the office of a shipping and transportation company in Bogotá, Colombia after tossing a grenade on Wednesday. Authorities sent in a bomb unit that was able to remove the explosive, which didn’t detonate
Colombian authorities in Bogotá, the capital, were able to remove a grenade that was tossed inside the office of a shipping and transportation agency on Wednesday. The site manager told El Espectador newspaper that he had received threats from a criminal group, which he believes may be led by Venezuelans, asking him to wire $60,000 to a U.S. bank account
Vélez claimed that initial threats were made in March and that the suspects had asked him to wire $60,000 to a bank account in the United States in exchange for keeping the company, his family and himself free of any violent attacks.
‘Since March we have been receiving intimidating calls, messages and photos at several of our company headquarters, where they have asked us for $60,000 to an account abroad to stop the intimidation,’ he said.
Vélez alerted authorities of the threats that were made through texts and phone calls via WhatsApp and moved his family out of Bogotá.
‘I had to leave town,’ he said. ‘But there has been no progress regarding the investigation. What we know, from the accent of the people who have called to threaten us, is that the gang could be of foreign origin, possibly from Venezuela, because our operation is directed towards that country. But beyond that, we don’t know more.’
Police in Bogotá, Colombia are searching for two suspects, including one seen here, who tossed a grenade inside the office of an agency that provides shipping and transportation services to Venezuela
The company provides services to Venezuela and shut down one of its locations in Soacha, 14 miles southwest of Bogotá, because of the ongoing threats.
The Bogotá Metropolitan Police commander, lieutenant José Gualdrón said that Venezuelan gangs ‘Treá de Aragua’ and ‘Los Satanas’ may have been involved in the botched attacked.
‘Apparently, two individuals traveling on a motorcycle arrived at the site and one of them apparently launched an explosive attack and fled,’ Sergio Boyana said.
‘Immediately, the anti-explosive police responded to the emergency and controlled the device,’ he added. ‘Immediately afterwards, the intelligence and judicial police operational bubbles were activated to collect the evidentiary material that would lead us to the identification of these individuals.’
Crime stat data released by the Colombia National Police showed that 16 of Bogotá’s 19 neighborhoods registered 790 extortions between January and April. In comparison, only 290 complaints were received during the same period in 2023.