A worldwide operation organised by authorities from many nations resulted in the detention of alias El Costeño, who was suspected of being responsible for the attempted attack on an opposition senator.

In the early hours of Saturday, July 5, intelligence agents captured Elder José Arteaga Hernández, alias “El Costeño,” the alleged organiser of the hit on Senator and presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay.

According to information from the National Police, consulted by Infobae Colombia, the arrest occurred during a secret operation, after national and international authorities intensified their search.

Alias el Costeño had been identified as a key player in the planning of the failed attack that occurred on June 7 in the Modelia neighbourhood, in western Bogotá.

According to the investigation, Arteaga Hernández was in the vehicle in which Katerine Andrea Martínez Martínez, alias Gabriela, handed a 9 mm Glock pistol to the young hitman in charge of the attack, and he also allegedly delegated to Carlos Eduardo Mora González—the driver of the gray Spark involved—the task of transporting the attacker and helping him locate the crime scene.

Although it was initially reported that alias El Costeño had left the country, leading Interpol to issue a red notice against him, his capture took place in the town of Engativá, Bogotá.

Elder José Arteaga Hernández will face charges of attempted aggravated homicide, aggravated possession and trafficking of weapons, and use of minors to commit crimes.

Víctor Mosquera, Miguel Uribe Turbay’s lawyer, commented on the arrest: “I celebrate the capture of alias ‘El Costeño-Chipi’. Impeccable work by the Prosecutor’s Office, in coordination with the National Police. This is a key step in solving the attempted assassination of Miguel Uribe Turbay. Justice must move forward without delay and identify the perpetrators and instigators. Thank you to all the international intelligence agencies that have collaborated.”

Who is the alias “El Costeño,” and what was his alleged role in the attack on Miguel Uribe Turbay?

According to authorities, Elder José Arteaga Hernández has a criminal career spanning more than 20 years and allegedly planned the attack from a parking lot in the El Muelle neighbourhood of Engativá, the same location where he had opened two barbershops after his release from prison.

There he met again with William González Cruz, alias “El Hermano,” an old associate in the underworld who was also arrested in this case.

According to witnesses and wiretaps, “El Costeño” ordered the recruitment of a 14-year-old boy to act as a hitman. The young man was promised 20 million pesos, but apparently they never planned to pay him: the plan included killing him after completing his mission to eliminate any traces.

On Friday, July 4, Interpol had already issued a red notice for his search , and the Colombian government was offering a reward of 300 million pesos for information leading to his whereabouts.

The authorities even had a picture of his supposed new appearance: he had dyed his hair to avoid being identified, as alias Gabriela had also done.

In addition to his criminal record, “El Costeño” was linked to electronic music and moved in the circle of well-known DJs, who claimed to have lost track of him a month earlier, according to El Tiempo.

Several of his associates and others involved in the attack wore tattoos and caps with the number 777, a detail that was the subject of investigation to determine whether it was a coincidence or the symbol of a hit gang.

Alias Gabriela had stated that “El Costeño” paid her to participate in another attack, carried out in July 2024, against Gabriel Ángel, a FARC peace signatory in the town of Teusaquillo, Bogotá.

That confession strengthened the line of investigation linking him not only to the Miguel Uribe case, but also to a possible series of attacks.

One of the most solid hypotheses considered by the Prosecutor’s Office was that the Second Marquetalia group, led by alias Iván Márquez, a sworn enemy of the attacked signer, was behind the attack.

However, it was not ruled out that “El Costeño” also acted as part of hitmen’s offices, with ties to criminal networks in Cali and the support of an old boss who was hiding in Ecuador and was captured in 2013.

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