Escape of three detainees in El Bagre, Antioquia: two remain at large after cutting bars
Three detainees escaped from the El Bagre Police Station in the early hours of Saturday. One was recaptured; two remain at large.
Two fugitives still at large following overnight escape from El Bagre police station
Three detainees escaped from the El Bagre Police Station in the Bajo Cauca region of Antioquia during the early hours of Saturday, 17 October, according to infobae.com. The escape was discovered at 4:16 a.m., although authorities estimate it occurred around 3:30 a.m., amid heavy rain that may have aided the detainees' exit.
One of the three escapees was recaptured following an initial search operation. Authorities also detained a man preliminarily identified as a possible external collaborator in the escape. The report did not specify his identity or concrete role in the incident.
The names of the two who remain at large are Juan David Pineda Guarnes and Johan Sebastián Agudelo Florián, who were being held at the police facility before the escape.
Bars with at least six cuts
An inspection following the escape revealed that a metal bar at the station bore cuts at no fewer than six points. The marks appear to have been made with a metal cutting tool, although authorities are still investigating how that object reached the interior of the facility.
The findings reinforced the hypothesis of coordination from outside. Investigators are seeking to determine the exact circumstances of the escape and the extent of the alleged external assistance.
The police activated a containment plan in El Bagre, searched the perimeter of the station, and extended the search to different areas of their jurisdiction with the aim of locating Pineda Guarnes and Agudelo Florián and returning them to custody. Operations include reconstructing the route the fugitives are believed to have taken.
Second escape in the region in just over a month
The case represents the second such incident recorded at police stations in the Bajo Cauca region of Antioquia in just over a month. On 15 September, ten detainees escaped from a police facility in Caucasia at around 4:50 a.m., using a hacksaw to cut a chain and remove a padlock.
Following that escape, the Caucasia Municipal Administration and the police offered a reward of up to 50 million pesos for information leading to the location of the fugitives. A containment plan was also activated involving nearby municipalities and authorities from the department of Córdoba.
Regional context: mass escape in Santa Marta
The El Bagre incident occurs in the context of recent escapes in other parts of the country. In Santa Marta, 41 people escaped during a riot that took place in the early hours of Monday, 12 October at the Centro de Traslado por Protección Sur facility, in the Santa Ana district.
Authorities regained control of 12 of those 41 people through arrests in Santa Marta and Ciénaga and returns as part of follow-up operations. The other 29 fugitives continued to be sought.
The mayor of Santa Marta, Carlos Pinedo Cuello, reported on 13 October on the deployment of 96 additional police officers to the city, including intelligence units and the Grupo de Acción Unificada por la Libertad Personal (GAULA). "The actions of our Public Force, coordinated from the PMU, already show a balance of 12 people returned to the custody of the authorities," the official stated via his X account.
Pinedo Cuello also announced that the police had located two additional fugitives and considered their recapture imminent. "We shall spare no effort to ensure the peace and security of the people of Santa Marta," he added.
In El Bagre, search operations continue. Available information does not indicate that Pineda Guarnes or Agudelo Florián have been located so far.
Source: Google News CO — Crime