The escape of 41 detainees from a temporary detention facility in Santa Marta, in northern Colombia, has called the government’s security strategy in the Caribbean city into question, less than three weeks after an armed shutdown imposed by the Autodefensas Conquistadoras de la Sierra Nevada (ACSN), a criminal organization that exerts pressure on local communities through threats and acts of violence.
The incident prompted President Abelardo De la Espriella to remove the commander of the Santa Marta Metropolitan Police from his post, amid questions over security failures and the handling of the emergency.
The mass escape has reignited doubts about the state’s ability to maintain public order, contain organized crime and ensure security in a city that recently endured several days of unrest following a military operation against the criminal organization.
Santa Marta escape of 41 detainees tests De la Espriella’s security strategy
The escape occurred at around 1 a.m. on Monday, October 12, at a temporary detention facility near Santa Marta’s bus terminal. According to initial reports, one detainee claimed to be experiencing health problems, prompting guards to open a gate to provide him with medication. Several inmates allegedly took advantage of the opening to escape.
A total of 41 people fled the facility, where they had been held pending further proceedings in their respective criminal cases. The circumstances surrounding the escape have raised questions about security protocols, inmate supervision and the authorities’ ability to prevent coordinated escapes from such facilities.
Among those who escaped was an individual known by the alias Mongolo, whom authorities have identified as an alleged member of the ACSN with ties to the organization’s financial operations. His escape is particularly concerning because he had been arrested just days earlier during an operation in Guachaca, a rural area of Santa Marta.
Another high-priority target is an individual known as Guajiro, also called Johan, who has been accused of participating in the killing of a police officer in October 2025 in the nearby municipality of Cienaga. The allegations against him will have to be resolved through the relevant judicial proceedings.
Authorities launched a search for the 41 escapees and appealed to the public for information that could help locate them. The incident has increased pressure on security agencies, which were already under scrutiny over their response to criminal violence in the region.
De la Espriella removes police commander
President De la Espriella announced the same day that Col. Jeyson Haird Lopez Puerto, then commander of the Santa Marta Metropolitan Police, was leaving his post and would be placed on the inactive list, a legal mechanism for removing an officer from active service.
In a statement posted on social media, the president attributed the decision to Lopez’s responsibility for the escape, his alleged delay in informing his superiors about the incident and his handling of a road blockade on the highway connecting Santa Marta and Barranquilla.
De la Espriella took a hard line toward members of the security forces, saying his administration would not tolerate a lack of resolve in the fight against crime and public disorder. The decision resulted in a swift change in police leadership, as López had held the position for just over a month.
“I will not accept members of the security forces who lack the courage and determination to confront crime and disorder as required. There is no room for cowardice in this administration,” De la Espriella wrote on his X account.
He subsequently urged the public to “remain calm,” arguing that the escapees “are not highly dangerous criminals.” He also announced the deployment of “all available resources” to locate and recapture them.
The president announced that the deputy commander, Col. Urriago, would temporarily take charge until Col. Jimmy Belalcázar, who has been appointed to the position, arrives.
CAMBIOS EN LA POLICÍA DE SANTA MARTA
No acepto en la Fuerza Pública a quienes carezcan del coraje y la determinación para enfrentar el crimen y los desmanes como corresponde. En este Gobierno, la cobardía no tiene cabida.
El coronel de la Policía Yeison López será llamado a calificar servicios por su responsabilidad en la fuga de 41 detenidos por hurto, microtráfico y otros delitos del Centro de Traslado por Protección; por no informar oportunamente sobre estos hechos y por no tomar las medidas correspondientes frente al bloqueo de ayer de la vía Santa Marta–Barranquilla, a la altura de Tasajera.
Pido tranquilidad a la comunidad: no se trata de delincuentes de alta peligrosidad. Estamos desplegando todas las capacidades para ubicarlos y recapturarlos.
El coronel Urriago, segundo al mando, asumirá temporalmente la comandancia. Esta semana llegará el coronel Jimmy Belalcázar como nuevo comandante. Santa Marta necesita liderazgo, carácter y criterio.
¡Firme por la Patria!
¡Que viva Cristo Rey!
(A.D.L.E)
— Abelardo De La Espriella (@ABDELAESPRIELLA) October 12, 2026
A security crisis following the ACSN armed strike
The escape took place amid a security crisis that rocked Santa Marta in late September. The ACSN declared an armed strike following the death on September 21 of Jose Luis Perez Villanueva, known as Cholo, whom authorities identified as the organization’s second-in-command.
The criminal group responded with threats and acts of intimidation that disrupted daily life in parts of Magdalena and neighboring La Guajira. Businesses closed, public transportation was disrupted, classes were suspended, and roads were blocked. Authorities also reported vehicles set on fire and restrictions on the mobility of Indigenous communities.
De la Espriella ordered the militarization of Santa Marta on September 22, reinforcing the deployment of police and military personnel to restore public order and protect residents, business owners, and transport operators. The armed strike ended on September 25, but the subsequent escape has raised questions about whether the increased presence of security forces translated into greater institutional control.
The fact that Mongolo, an alleged member of the same criminal organization responsible for the recent public disorder, was among those who escaped has heightened concerns. His recapture is now a priority for authorities seeking to prevent further criminal activity.
Security strategy under pressure
The incident has highlighted a challenge that goes beyond the performance of a police commander: how to sustain security gains in a region where criminal organizations retain the ability to intimidate communities and disrupt economic activity.
The ACSN operates in and around the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, where criminal networks compete for territorial control and illicit revenue streams. Its ability to bring activities to a standstill in response to the death of one of its top leaders demonstrated its influence over daily life, while the mass escape exposed vulnerabilities in the institutions responsible for detaining inmates.
The government now faces pressure to recapture the escapees, determine how the breakout occurred, and establish whether there were failures in detention procedures or interagency coordination. The change in police leadership demonstrates the president’s willingness to impose immediate consequences, but it does not, by itself, resolve the underlying structural security problems.
For Santa Marta’s residents and business owners, the priority is to restore normal life without threats, roadblocks, or disruptions to transportation and commerce. Meanwhile, the government’s security strategy — one of its main policy pillars — is seeking to restore its credibility following the incident in Santa Marta, one of the areas where violence by organized armed groups is on the rise.