5 arrested in Colombia for attack on former minister
Police officers inspect the wreckage of the car of former interior minister Fernando Londono on May 15, 2012 after an explosion ripped through a crowded area of Bogota’s commercial district.
Five suspects have been arrested in connection with the May 15 bombing that targeted former Colombian Interior Minister Fernando Londoño.
The suspects "are persons who do not belong to the FARC," said Attorney General Eduardo Montealegre, according to EFE, adding that investigators were still considering the possibility that the country's oldest and largest leftist guerrilla group may have been involved in the attack.
"Obviously, one of our main working theories is that the FARC may have eventually been behind the attack," Montealegre went on to say.
Police could only say the suspects belong to criminal gangs that "work at the behest of terrorists," according to BBC News. One of the five detained is 16 years old.
More from GlobalPost: Colombia: Bogota bomb blast targets former interior minister Fernando Londoño
EFE reported Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon as saying the suspects belonged to El Parche de la Ley, a gang based in the southwestern city of Cali.
Londoño survived the May bombing, but two members of his security team were killed and nearly 40 others were injured, reported CNN. Bogota security cameras caught someone throwing a package at the vehicle where Londoño was riding and speeding away on a nearby motorcycle.
According to CNN, four of the men were arrested in Cali, and the minor was apprehended in Bogota. The 16-year-old is suspected of being the one who threw the bomb.
The story you just read is available for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
Make a gift today, and you’ll get us one step closer to our goal of raising $25,000 by June 14. We need your help now more than ever!