Seven Colombian nationals were extradited to the United
States to face charges relating to the kidnapping and murder of Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent James Terry Watson.
Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Assistant Attorney General
Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney
Dana J. Boente for the Eastern District of Virginia, Special Agent in Charge
George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, DEA Administrator Michele M.
Leonhart and Director Bill A. Miller of the State Department’s Diplomatic
Security Service (DSS) made the announcement.
“With the extradition of these suspects, we are one step
closer to ensuring that justice is served for the kidnapping and murder of an
American hero,” said Attorney General Holder.
“Special Agent Watson gave his life in the service of his country. We owe him, and his family, a debt of
gratitude we can never fully repay. The
Justice Department will never waver in our commitment to ensure that those who
commit acts of violence against our best and bravest can be caught and held
accountable.”
“DEA Special Agent James ‘Terry’ Watson was a brave and
talented special agent who represented everything good about federal law
enforcement and our DEA family,” said DEA Administrator Leonhart. “We will never forget Terry’s sacrifice on
behalf of the American people during his 13 years of service, nor will DEA ever
forget the outstanding work of the Colombian National Police and our other law
enforcement partners. Their efforts
quickly led to the arrest and extradition of those accused of committing this
heinous act.”
All of the defendants were indicted by a grand jury in the
Eastern District of Virginia on July 18, 2013.
Gerardo Figueroa Sepulveda, 39; Omar Fabian Valdes Gualtero, 27; Edgar
Javier Bello Murillo, 27; Hector Leonardo Lopez, 34; Julio Estiven Gracia Ramirez,
31; and Andrés Alvaro Oviedo-Garcia, 22, were each charged with two counts of
second degree murder, one count of kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to
kidnap. Oviedo-Garcia was also charged
with two counts of assault.
Additionally, the grand jury indicted Wilson Daniel Peralta-Bocachica,
31, also a Colombian national, for his alleged efforts to destroy evidence
associated with the murder of Special Agent Watson.
The defendants arrived in the United States on July 1, 2014,
and made their initial appearance in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia,
today before United States Magistrate Judge Thomas Rawles Jones Jr. A detention hearing is scheduled for July 9,
2014, before United States Magistrate Judge Ivan D. Davis.
According to the indictment, Figueroa, Valdes, Bello, Lopez,
Gracia and Oviedo-Garcia were part of a kidnapping and robbery conspiracy that
utilized taxi cabs in Bogotá, Colombia, to lure victims into a position where
they could be attacked and robbed. Once
an intended victim entered a taxi cab, the driver of the taxi cab would signal
other conspirators to commence the robbery and kidnapping operation.
The indictment alleges that on June 20, 2013, while he was
working for the U.S. Mission in Colombia, Special Agent Watson entered a taxi
cab operated by one of the defendants.
Special Agent Watson was then allegedly attacked by two other defendants
– one who stunned Special Agent Watson with a stun gun and another who stabbed
Special Agent Watson with a knife, resulting in his death.
On July 1, 2014, the Government of Colombia extradited the
defendants to the United States.
This case was investigated by the FBI, DEA and DSS,
including the Office of Special Investigations and the Regional Security Office
at Embassy Bogatá, in close cooperation with Colombian authorities, and with
assistance from INTERPOL and the Justice Department’s Office of International
Affairs. The case is being prosecuted
by Special Counsel Stacy Luck of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and
Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. Ben’Ary
from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The Department of Justice gratefully acknowledges the
Colombian Attorney General’s Office, Colombian National Police, Colombian
Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Interpol (DIJIN), DIJIN Special
Investigative Unit, Bogotá Metropolitan Police, Bogotá Police Intelligence Body
(CIPOL) Unit and Colombian Technical Investigation Team for their extraordinary
efforts, support and professionalism in responding to this incident.
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations, and
the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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