Alleged Drug Kingpin Released in Honduras

Drug King Pin Released in Honduras

Drug Kingpin Released in Honduras.
Adam Montes Bobadilla was delivered by Colombia back to Honduras on January 5, 2007.

A scandal of major proportions has begun in Honduras with the release of the alleged drug kingpin, Alex Adán Montes Bobadilla.

The alleged boss of the “Cartel of the Atlantic” was arrested for drug trafficking, murder, attempted murder, and escape; however, prison officials confirmed that Montes Bobadilla was released Saturday night.

The prisoner had been taken from the National Penitentiary in Tamara, named Marco Aurelio Soto, and moved to Trujillo, Colón, where the judge of that jurisdiction granted him a Letter of Freedom, according to the Director of Prisons, Santos Simeón Flores Reyes.

Judiciary Investigates Alleged King Pin Release

The release from prison of Montes Bobadilla generated suspicion by the judiciary itself (Poder Judical), and it instructed an investigation to be made into the executing judge in Trujillo, Colón, Mariela Fonseca.  The Inspectorate of Courts began their research on Saturday, said an official of the Supreme Court. The Inspectorate is looking into what foundation Judge Fonseca used as a basis to grant the prisoner freedom.

Given the possibility that Montes Bobadilla may be out of the country, immigration authorities were consulted, but responded, “Legally, the man you mentioned has not exited the country through any of the borders.”

Supreme Court officials will meet today to address this emergency situation, and upon conclusion, a preliminary report will be presented to the Inspectorate of Courts.  The judge in Colón could be suspended while the process is taking place, which may include discharge hearings.

Once the case study is concluded, the Supreme Court would determine whether or not Montes Bobadilla is legally free, and if not, they would announce that the Letter of Freedom has been annulled.

The Attorney General was not officially notified about the Letter of Freedom granted to Montes Bobadilla.  The authorities of the public prosecutor’s office (MP- Ministerio Público) will also hold an emergency meeting today about launching a criminal investigation.

Background Timeline

On July 28, 2003, Montes Bobadilla was captured in Colón during a shootout with narcotics police, for allegedly moving about 450 kilos of cocaine.  He was  imprisoned in Trujillo. Judge Roy Umaña, at that time, allowed a preliminary arrest, arguing that the detainee was wounded by the shot he received during the narcotics operation, and so Montes Bobadilla was taken from the prison and sent to be held in custody at his home in the mountains of Jericó, Trujillo. 

On January 10, at 6:00 pm, several persons armed with rifles and automatic pistols burst in the mountain home to rescue him. During the incident, Samuel Hidalgo Hernández and Serafín López, two penitentiary police officers, were assassinated, and another went missing.  Judge Umaña was dismissed by the judiciary.

In 2006, Montes Bobadilla was accused by police authorities and prosecutors of having assumed the role of leader of the criminal organization called, “Cartel of the Atlantic”, after the violent death of its former boss, leader Carlos Montes.

On January 2, 2007, Montes Bobadilla was captured by Interpol on the island of San Andrés, of Colombia, where he had been using the names José Luis Cervantes and Moisés Gómez Mejía. January 5, 2007, Colombian authorities handed Montes Bobadilla over to Honduras, where he was being heldat the maximum security unit of the National Penitentiary.


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