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15 members of the criminal group 'La Miel' were captured. Several of them were involved in a massacre in Titiribí. Colombia's best mule rider was murdered on February 25, 2026, on a rural road in Titiribí over differences with the leader of 'La Miel'. Photo: EL TIEMPO. MEDELLÍN REPORTER 10.10.2026 17:10 Updated: 10.10.2026 17:14
On February 25, 2025, what would become the 21st massacre of the year took place. That particular case was under the scrutiny of Antioquia's authorities, not only because of the circumstances in which it occurred, but also because of the identity of one of the victims of this episode. Three people were shot to death in that incident. The preliminary findings recorded in the technical report indicated that the crime was committed in the early morning hours in the area between La Albania and Puerto Escondido, in Titiribí, a municipality in southwestern Antioquia. At the time, the authorities' first hypotheses, delivered by the then commander of the Antioquia Police, Colonel Luis Fernando Muñoz Guzmán, pointed to an alleged settling of scores between 'La Miel' and the GDCO 'San Pablo', linked to 'La Terraza'. SEE ALSO Report of the massacre in Titiribí. Photo: Indepaz. Commander Muñoz reported that the events were reported to the authorities through a phone call made at around 6 in the morning that Wednesday, and revealed that the complaint reported the discovery of three bodies around an abandoned truck 30 minutes from the urban center of Titiribí. The settling-of-scores theory gained strength after the identification of one of the victims: Nicolás Caro Ángel, 24 years old, the younger brother of Santiago Caro Ángel, alias Tony, one of the leaders of the GDCO San Pablo. 'Tony' is being held in the La Paz maximum security prison in Itagüí for the crimes of conspiracy to commit a crime and illegal possession of firearms, in connection with one of the most powerful GDCOs whose operation depends on the organized criminal group 'La Terraza'. Although the hypothesis that had been handled for months seemed consistent with the facts, several details of the case remained up in the air. However, in recent hours, the Attorney General's Office brought charges against 15 members of 'La Miel', including two of the men who carried out the triple homicide. Three men were killed on a road 30 minutes from the urban center of Titiribí. Photo: Courtesy. It is necessary to return to the reconstruction of the case carried out by the Attorney General's Office that led to the capture of these individuals. SEE ALSO A settling of scores? The information gathered by the authorities established that the victims were at Caro's farm in the El Corcovado rural area at around 11 at night on February 24, when a group of armed men arrived at the property on motorcycles. The aggressors entered the La Tejana farm and allegedly told the owner that he had been summoned for a supposed meeting. Compliant, the farm owner and two of his workers left the property following the armed men. The caravan advanced for several kilometers until reaching a lonely stretch of the access road to the municipality in the La Sabaleta area. There, the men on motorcycles allegedly suddenly blocked the car's path. Pointing at the vehicle, the armed men ordered the civilians to get out and then shot them, killing them on the spot. After the bodies were recovered hours later and sent for identification, it became known that one of the victims was Nicolás Caro Ángel, the owner of the La Tejana farm. In addition, the second identified victim was Stiven Zapata, one of Caro's workers. Despite Santiago Caro Ángel's extensive criminal record, the reality of his brother Nicolás was diametrically opposite, as he was widely known in the region, but not for being a criminal, rather for being an outstanding rider and multiple-time champion of national tournaments, which even led him to be recognized as Colombia's best mule rider. SEE ALSO Nicolás Caro Ángel, victim of the Titiribí massacre. Photo: EL TIEMPO. In fact, just a few months before his murder, in October 2025, Nicolás Caro participated in the XVII Confepaso World Championship, in which he was crowned champion in three categories. For months, the main theory of this massacre pointed to the motive for the murder of Nicolás Caro and his two companions being the war between 'La Miel' and 'San Pablo', in which the 24-year-old man would have been caught in the middle. However, the capture of the alleged perpetrators of the triple homicide allowed the Attorney General's Office to establish the real cause of Caro's murder. SEE ALSO Blow to 'La Miel' and Caro's murder Through various search and seizure operations carried out by the authorities in Titiribí, Amagá, Venecia, Fredonia, Angelópolis, Medellín and Caldas, 15 members of 'La Miel' were captured, who, according to the Attorney General's Office, were involved in different homicides in southwestern Antioquia. Among those captured are Michael Andrés Giraldo Foronda, alias Pinocho, and Hildebrando Molina Cortés, alias Hilder. These two men are accused by the prosecuting body of having taken the lives of Nicolás Caro and his two workers. According to the case file, it was confirmed that the members of 'La Miel' took Caro and his workers out of the farm located in the El Corcovado rural area, but it emerged that the reason for moving them was the payment of a fine imposed by one of the leaders of the criminal structure against the famous horseman. According to the authorities' investigation, the leader of 'La Miel' had asked Caro to use his farm as a surveillance post. For this, two members of the structure would remain on the property. The mule rider refused the request and, as a result of that refusal, the leader of 'La Miel' allegedly fined him an amount close to 100 million pesos. Accordingly, on the morning of February 25, Caro and his workers were escorted by nine members of 'La Miel', under the premise that they would be taken to a point in the territory where the rider would meet with the leader of the structure to pay the fine. Nicolás Caro was deceived and, instead of being escorted to the meeting, was taken to the El Porvenir rural area, in the Sabaletas sector, the place where he ended up being murdered by 'Pinocho' and 'Hilder', who, moreover, according to the Attorney General's Office, took the money the mule rider had prepared to pay the demand. SEE ALSO 15 members of 'La Miel', including 'Pinocho' and 'Hilder', were captured in Antioquia. Photo: Attorney General's Office. The 15 members of 'La Miel' brought before the courts were charged, according to their responsibilities, with the crimes of conspiracy to commit a crime; homicide; manufacture, trafficking, carrying or possession of firearms, accessories, parts or ammunition; and manufacture, trafficking or carrying of narcotics, all aggravated offenses. NICOLÁS TAMAYO ESCALANTE
Nation reporter, in Medellín. Follow all the news from Colombia on Facebook and Twitter, or in our weekly newsletter.
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