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How the 'Ndrangheta Conquered Colombia: From "Invisible Drug Traffickers" to the Emissaries of the "Santa Alianza"
Here she would have managed to establish links with the “Gulf clan” and “Los Costeños”. And then the double blow with the arrests of “Rony” and “Dollarino”
Published: 03/31/2025 – 7:02
LAMEZIA TERME His fellow citizens were convinced that he was a builder, active in business and investments in South America. A few days ago they realized that in their community, in reality, there lived a powerful drug trafficker . A true “boss” of the sector, with huge businesses in Dubai and, above all, in Italy.
A nice surprise for the inhabitants of Garagoa , a small town in the south-east of Boyacá , one of the 32 departments of Colombia . The unsuspecting person is Ronald Fernando Acosta Cuesta alias “Rony”, who ended up in handcuffs last March 26. An arrest even announced by the Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, on social media, describing “Rony” as a «member of the “Junta del Narcotráfico”».
Unsuspecting citizen
An unexpected neighbor for the residents of the exclusive neighborhood of Santa Barbara, north of Bogotá , where he lived in a luxury apartment, convinced that he was the manager of a construction and aquaculture company created in 2013. The "investigative editorial team" of "El Tiempo" , an important Colombian newspaper (this is a security measure to avoid reprisals) has reconstructed the profile of "Rony" through some information obtained from the authorities: a criminal record of "over 19 years in the service of drug trafficking" and the ability to "lead a transnational network with a range of action in Colombia, Venezuela and Panama". He would also have registered in his name a bar in Garagoa and "La Estampilla", a property in Yopal, the 32nd house in a complex in Garagoa and a plot of land.
According to the first information gathered, therefore, “Rony” would have been in the service of the 'ndrangheta, «transporting cocaine between Calabria and Milan». But there is more. His name, in fact, matches that of another Colombian – same name and surname – linked to a mega-money laundering operation, over 70 million dollars , of illicit and mafia origin, probably connected to international drug trafficking. The authorities are therefore verifying whether it is the same individual , but what the investigators had discovered was a network equipped with “human mules” used to place the money inside ad hoc bags and suitcases with double bottoms, in which they wrapped the banknotes in carbon paper and newspapers to avoid being detected by X-ray machines at airports. A group that also had more than 20 luxury vehicles seized, including a Mercedes Benz van, two Lexuses, two Toyota Land Cruisers, three Toyota Hilux vans, a Nissan Navara van, a BMW and a BMW 3201 car. In any case – as reconstructed by local investigators and reported by the Colombian press – “Rony” continued to buy land in Garagoa, even filing a lawsuit in the Supreme Court for a property.
Gregorini “Dollarino” and the “Holy Alliance”
But why is the arrest of “Rony” so important? An answer has been provided once again by “El Tiempo”. Because according to intelligence sources of the National Police, “invisible drug traffickers” of the Italian mafia operate in Colombia, capable therefore of “managing cocaine trafficking in the shadows” through a network that is part of what has been defined as the “holy alliance” or the “ santa alianza” . In this context, therefore, the important arrest of Emanuele Gregorini known as “Dollarino” fits in , which took place last week in Cartagena, after months of research. According to investigators, it is only one piece of a powerful network that connects Colombia with European organized crime and, in particular, with the Italian mafia. “Dollarino” is considered an “emissary” with the task of reconstructing the routes affected after the capture of two other prominent figures in 2024: Gustavo Nogueira and Luigi Belvedere, both linked to the mafias of Naples and Caserta. Gregorini, according to the investigation by the Milan DDA, would be part of the Campania component, directed by Michele Senese, of the alleged mafia consortium in Milan that emerged from the “Hydra” investigation by the Milan Anti-Mafia District which, in recent days, closed the investigations for 146 suspects.
The 'Ndrangheta conquers Colombia
In short, in Colombia the 'ndrangheta is now a "national emergency". A source told the same Colombian newspaper that it is "considered one of the most powerful criminal organizations in the world because it has extended its influence in more than 40 countries, including Colombia. Its operational model is based on sending emissaries who create networks in different regions". Here, the 'ndrangheta and the Italian mafias in general, in order to be successful, have committed to establishing strong ties with local partners. In the Caribbean country, for example, the clans have managed to establish ties with the "clan del Golfo" and "Los Costeños", two of the most active criminal structures on the coast, but they have also identified movements in the Valle del Cauca, Urabá and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, "where they have sought contacts with local groups to secure drug supplies", the newspaper reports. A source further reported: «The relationship is functional for both parties: while the Italian mafias guarantee the flow of drugs towards Europe, the local groups benefit from the experience, logistics and financial resources of the Europeans». ( g.curcio@corrierecal.it )
