Crime

Colombian national extradited to US charged with drugging soldiers

Three Colombian citizens are accused of being involved in drugging two American soldiers in a bar in Bogota, Colombia and robbing them.

Bogota, Colombia
Bogota, Colombia.
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SMS

Three Colombian nationals are accused of acting together to drug two American soldiers in a bar in Bogota, Colombia before taking them to another location to rob them. 

The FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida said Jeffersson Arango, Kenneth Uribe and Pedro Silva were indicted. They were charged with kidnapping, conspiracy and abduction. 

The soldiers said they had little memory of what happened when in March of 2020 they were slipped drugs at an upscale bar in Colombia's capital city.

They say they lost consciousness soon after, and later one of them was found stumbling down a street while the other was found unconscious in his apartment. 

The suspects allegedly took them out of the bar and into a car where police said they were seen on video withdrawing money from ATMs and using their cards in stores. 

Colombian police say they intercepted phone calls in which they heard the suspects talking about plans to rob victims and drug them at bars. 

At least one of the suspects was extradited to the U.S. to face charges. 

Tests showed the victims had benzodiazepines in their systems. 

Arango appeared for the first time in a Miami federal court on Friday after he was extradited from Colombia. 

Court documents did not list an attorney for the defendants. It was not clear if the other two suspects were extradited. 

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