“Diego Rastrojo,” the captured leader of Colombian powerful crime syndicate the “Rastrojos,” has not only maintained ties with his gang but has continued to commit crimes from his maximum security prison, weekly Semana reported Wednesday.
According to the weekly, international intelligence agencies have found evidence strongly indicating that Diego Perez, known as Diego Rastrojo, has continued leading his narcotrafficking crime syndicate from behind bars in Bogota.
The powerful criminal was captured June 3 in Venezuela and was sent to Colombia’s maximum security prison. After his detainment authorities thought they were delivering a crippling blow to the criminal gang which has suffered several other captures of its leaders. However, “Rastrojo continued to not only commit crimes from his cell but, ironically, from prison, he has become stronger and is ready to continue with fire and sword in the drug business.”
Apparently this has been achieved through the simple corruption of prison authorities where Rastrojo is able to easily give orders to his lieutenants. According to intelligence agencies, Rastrojo has two blackberry phones that he uses to give instructions and receive information from his cell. Supposedly, it is the guards that provide these devices who are paid almost $3,000 for each phone. Allegedly the phones are changed out every 15 days in which the guards are paid again for the new transaction, a corrupt operation in which “everybody wins.”
The drug lord apparently also works through visits from people who claim they are “his lawyer, family and friends accompanied by three bodyguards.” Apparently two of these customary visitors are two of the criminal’s well known lieutenants.
Rastrojos’ corruption to the prison system is not isolated to controlling the Rastrojos criminal gang, and includes receiving bottles of alcohol and visits by prostitutes for which he pays about $1,600 to gaurds per visit. According to Caracol Radio, it is the communication between Diego Rastrojo and his “1,200 assasins” that worries intelligence agencies.
Diego Rastrojo is expected to be extradited to the U.S., a move which will probably hinder the gang leader’s ability to control the activity of his crime syndicate from prison.
