Prosecutor's office searching for four suspects over the appearance of ELN cylinders and flags in Barranquilla and Soledad: a BMW, the centerpiece of the investigation

NewsTwo men and two women appear in the investigation into the events of last Thursday. A possible urban structure of the ELN is also being investigated. Cleiver Jesús Pérez Sánchez, a 25-year-old Venezuelan citizen, was captured for his alleged participation in the events. He did not accept the charges brought by the Prosecutor's Office. Photo: PoliceJOURNALIST10.10.2026 08:41 Updated: 10.10.2026 08:41 The search for four people, including two women, and the tracking of a BMW vehicle have become two of the main lines of investigation for the authorities to clarify who was behind the installation of cylinders and flags alluding to the National Liberation Army (ELN), which last Thursday, October 8, caused alarm in Barranquilla and the municipality of Soledad. READ ALSO Researchers are trying to establish the participation of these people, who would have accompanied Cleiver Jesús Pérez Sánchez, 25 years old, the Venezuelan citizen captured by the Police and signaled by the Prosecutor's Office for allegedly transporting the items that appeared on the bridge of Murillo Avenue with Circunvalar and in a car wash near the Metropolitan Transportation Terminal. The information revealed during the judicial hearings made it possible to establish that the security cameras of an establishment in the Nuevo Milenio neighborhood, in Soledad, recorded the arrival of several people aboard a BMW, a vehicle that, according to the Prosecutor's Office, would also have been used to transport the cylinder and flag installed in Barranquilla. The authorities have also identified another man known by the alias 'Makia', whose alleged participation is part of the inquiries. The security cameras and the BMW's routeOne of the main clues emerged from the security recordings of the car wash located in the Nuevo Milenio neighborhood. READ ALSO According to the reconstruction presented by the Prosecutor's Office, several people arrived at that establishment transporting two cylinders and a flag alluding to the ELN. The two cylinders found in a parking lot near the Transportation Terminal. Photo: Social mediaAllegedly, Pérez Sánchez stated that he would leave the vehicle at the place because he was going to drink liquor with those accompanying him. Later, he would have taken advantage of that circumstance to abandon the items, with the supposed collaboration of the other occupants. The investigators also gathered information from workers at the establishment, who indicated that they knew the accused because he had previously come to the place to wash motorcycles. The camera tracking allowed part of the BMW's route to be reconstructed. According to information known from the investigation, the vehicle would have arrived around 4:15 in the early morning of Thursday at the Murillo with Circunvalar bridge, where a cylinder and a flag were installed. The items found in both sectors were inspected by specialized units, which ruled out the presence of explosives inside. Possible formation of an ELN urban front under investigationAnother aspect that the Prosecutor's Office is trying to clarify is the possible existence of an urban structure that would be using ELN symbols to generate fear among the inhabitants of Barranquilla and Soledad. During the hearings, the accusing body maintained that Pérez Sánchez would have participated in meetings held between October 1 and 8 with at least five people, supposedly interested in forming an urban front of that armed organization. Eln flag Barranquilla Photo: ScreenshotAccording to the hypothesis presented by the Prosecutor's Office, the group would have the purpose of committing terrorist actions to generate fear and distress among the population. In parallel, the authorities have signaled the captured man as an alleged member of the criminal organization Los Costeños. 'Armed propaganda does not mean territorial control': researcherFor the researcher from Universidad del Norte Luis Fernando Trejos, the appearance of cylinders and flags alluding to the ELN in Barranquilla and Soledad has a reading that goes beyond the events investigated by the authorities."The ELN has deployed an armed propaganda campaign in the Metropolitan Area of Barranquilla, which clearly presents itself as a direct challenge to the national government, which has chosen Barranquilla as an alternate seat of government," Trejos maintains. However, the researcher warns that these actions cannot automatically be interpreted as a demonstration of the guerrilla's military presence in the city."In any case, propaganda does not imply territorial control or military presence," he emphasizes. The first captured man did not accept the chargesPérez Sánchez was detained during a search operation carried out by the Police and the Prosecutor's Office in the municipality of Soledad. According to the accusing body, during the procedure two square-shaped objects containing pentolite, a high-power explosive, were found. Alias 'Kleiver': The alleged member of Los Costeños was captured. Photo: PoliceThe Venezuelan citizen was presented before the 101 Municipal Criminal Court with Ambulant Guarantees Control Function, where the Prosecutor's Office charged him with aggravated criminal conspiracy, terrorism, and aggravated possession of explosives. The accused did not accept the charges. The hearing for the request for a preventive detention measure is scheduled to continue next Thursday, October 15. Meanwhile, the investigation seeks to determine the responsibility of the other people who appear in the security records and to establish who would have organized the installation of the items. Follow all the news from Colombia on Facebook and Twitter, or in our weekly newsletter. EL TIEMPO NEWSLETTERSSign up for our newsletters and receive news in your email according to your interests. Stay informed with what really matters to you. EL TIEMPO GOOGLE NEWSFollow us on GOOGLE NEWS. Always stay up to date with the latest news, coverage, stories, and analysis directly on Google News. EL TIEMPO WHATSAPPJoin El Tiempo's WhatsApp channel to stay up to date with the most relevant news as it happens. EL TIEMPO APPStay informed with the EL TIEMPO app. Receive the latest news, coverage, stories, and analysis directly on your device. 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