The National Police has arrested a dangerous hitman in Denia, Alicante, known as Juan Diablo, who was a fugitive from Colombian justice. The fugitive, whose real name is Juan David V. O., is a part of a criminal group called Los Lobos that operates in Tuluá, a city located in the Valle de Cauca region in southwest Colombia. According to police sources, the arrested individual is being investigated for ordering and committing kidnappings, extortions, tortures, rapes, and thefts, and is also linked to the forced disappearance of several individuals in that Colombian municipality. The courts in the American country are seeking a 42-year prison sentence for him. The investigation began when the Spanish National Police received a notice through Interpol about the possible presence of the fugitive in Spain. His violent and dangerous profile led to an acceleration in efforts to locate him. He was eventually found in the town of Denia, Alicante. After the arrest, he was transferred to Madrid and placed at the disposal of the Central Investigative Court acting as the guard of the National Court. Judge María Tardón ordered his imprisonment last week.
The nickname Juan Diablo is frequently associated with arrests made by the Colombian police. A 1999 soap opera titled “¿Por qué diablos?” featured a character with the same name who gained great fame. The protagonist is a young criminal who was part of an international band of thieves and decides to avenge the death of a friend by killing the leader of the organization. For example, the first murder of 2023 in Colombia was attributed to an arrested individual with the nickname Juan Diablo, although he was 23 years old and his name was Juan Carlos O. V. In March of the same year, another alias El Diablo was shot dead in Barranquilla. The deceased, named Juan Ricardo C. V., was being investigated for the disappearance and death of his partner, as reported by the newspaper El Espectador. The Colombian gang Los Lobos is allegedly linked to the murder of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio last August. Its members have also been implicated in prison riots following those in Guayaquil, and they are said to be fighting for hegemony in organized crime within and outside Ecuador.
The arrest of Juan Diablo is significant due to his involvement in numerous violent crimes in Colombia, including kidnappings, extortions, tortures, rapes, and forced disappearances. The Colombian authorities are seeking a 42-year prison sentence for him, highlighting the severity of his offenses. The investigation into his activities began when Interpol alerted the Spanish National Police about his possible presence in Spain, leading to his eventual apprehension in Denia, Alicante. The violent and dangerous nature of Juan Diablo’s actions prompted swift action to locate and arrest him, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation in fighting organized crime.
The nickname Juan Diablo has been associated with various criminal activities and arrests in Colombia, reflecting a notorious reputation for violence and criminal behavior. The character from the soap opera “¿Por qué diablos?” serves as a pop culture reference to the name, highlighting its association with criminality and vengeance. The ongoing conflicts and crimes involving individuals like Juan Diablo underscore the challenges of tackling organized crime and its impact on communities in Colombia and beyond. The criminal group Los Lobos, to which Juan Diablo belongs, has been linked to high-profile crimes such as the murder of a presidential candidate in Ecuador, indicating the reach and influence of such criminal organizations.
