Migration Colombia officer arrested for illegal fees at El Dorado International Airport
A Migration Colombia officer has been arrested following an investigation into her alleged involvement in a scheme demanding money from travelers at El Dorado International Airport. Authorities report that the woman exploited her position to block passengers from leaving the country unless they paid up to $3,500 to avoid detention.
According to Colombian newspaper El Tiempo, the case was uncovered through a joint investigation by Migration Colombia, the Dijín’s Special Investigations Group within the Anti-Corruption Investigative Area, and the Attorney General’s Office. The inquiry began after citizen complaints revealed irregular behavior by the officer, who was stationed at Module 19 in the airport’s international departure area.
Recently, at José María Córdova International Airport in Rionegro, Antioquia, a separate security initiative was launched to promote the exclusive use of authorized public transport amid reports of theft at the facility.
In the El Dorado case, evidence includes security footage showing the officer speaking with travelers, reviewing documents with a supervisor for extended periods, and receiving envelopes allegedly containing cash. The recordings also show that after accepting the envelopes, the officer returned the passengers' passports, allowing them to proceed with the migration process.
Investigators believe the illegal payments were mainly extorted from travelers with incomplete documentation, who were pressured under the pretext of administrative violations. According to Migration Colombia, the officer not only demanded bribes but also bypassed established migration requirements.
The woman has been formally charged with the crime of concusión in a homogeneous concurrence, which carries a prison sentence ranging from 96 to 180 months. The Attorney General’s Office has placed her under house arrest while the case proceeds. Authorities do not rule out the possibility that she is part of a larger migrant smuggling network operating at the airport.
AUTOR
Corresponsal de Prensa de Colombia, Centroamérica y el Caribe. Escribo sobre aviones y música, creo contenido digital en redes y capturo cuanto avión se me cruce en el cielo o en la tierra.
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