Tren de Aragua murders teacher in Bogotá who steered young people away from drugs
Kevin Santiago Ángel was tortured and killed in Kennedy by Tren de Aragua. Eight Venezuelans were charged but did not accept the charges.
Teacher killed in Kennedy: Prosecutor's office links crime to Tren de Aragua
Professor Kevin Santiago Ángel was tortured, murdered and dismembered between 20 and 22 May 2026 in the Kennedy locality of Bogotá. According to pulzo.com, the General Prosecutor's Office states that the crime would have been ordered by the criminal structure Tren de Aragua, motivated by the teacher's social work, which directly interfered with their drug trafficking activities and extortion collection in the area.
Ángel was recognised in his community for leading sports initiatives aimed at preventing drug use among young people in the sector. That work, according to the Prosecutor's Office, made him an obstacle to the interests of the criminal group, which operated in the same territory.
Deception, detention and body transport
The investigation establishes that the victim was contacted through deception to gain his trust. Gacelis Nairobid Sojo Lira, alias Alondra, would have initiated the approach from 9 May through social media. Under that pretext, Ángel was taken to a property in the Galán neighbourhood, where he was detained and subjected to torture before being killed.
The teacher's body was dismembered, placed in a suitcase and abandoned in the El Tintal sector. The authorities also point out that some of those involved used Ángel's mobile phone during the time he was detained.
More than 80 police investigation activities
To identify those allegedly responsible, the Prosecutor's Office carried out more than 80 police investigation activities, with the support of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The result was the judicial processing of eight Venezuelan citizens.
Among those charged are Osmer Josué Castillo Urbaneja, identified as the local leader of Tren de Aragua; Franyer Eduardo Vásquez Ramos, identified as the coordinator of the homicide; and Luis Alberto Camejo González, alias Luis Panadero. Also charged was Emiro Manuel Nieves Morgado, alias Mario Bro, who would have provided the property where the events occurred. Three other individuals allegedly participated in the detention of the victim and in the transport of the body.
Charges and non-acceptance
The prosecutor in charge of the case charged the eight defendants with the crimes of homicide, torture, forced disappearance and aggravated criminal conspiracy. To these are added charges relating to the concealment, alteration and destruction of evidence materials.
All eight accused, all Venezuelan nationals, did not accept the charges. The investigation continues in order to determine precisely the individual responsibilities of each of those involved.
Impact on the Kennedy community
The murder of Professor Ángel caused commotion in the Kennedy locality. The Prosecutor's Office emphasises that the teacher was a reference point for young people in the sector, whose preventative work represented a direct threat to the expansion of Tren de Aragua in the area. The case highlights how community leadership in territories with the presence of criminal organisations can expose its promoters to violent reprisals.
Source: Google News CO — Bogotá