In a recent federal court session, Pedro Jose Silva Ochoa, a 47-year-old resident of Bogota, Colombia, pleaded guilty to charges linked to the drugging and kidnapping of two U.S. Army soldiers back in 2020.
Known by the moniker “Tata,” Ochoa confessed to being part of a conspiracy connected to this criminal act.
As of now, a sentencing date has yet to be set.
Details of the Incident
Prosecutors revealed that Ochoa, alongside two other accomplices, targeted the soldiers during a night out at a local bar where the soldiers were enjoying a soccer match.
What should have been a simple, fun evening turned into a nightmare.
The soldiers were drugged and robbed, leaving one in the hospital and the other struggling to remember the preceding events of the night.
The court documents do not disclose the names of the soldiers involved, nor their military unit.
At the time of the incident, both were temporarily stationed in Colombia.
Accomplices and Legal Proceedings
In May 2023, U.S. authorities extradited one of Ochoa’s accomplices, Jeffersson Arango Castellanos, 37, from Colombia.
Another accomplice, Kenny Julieth Uribe Chiran, 35, faced a similar fate when extradited from Bogota in September.
Ochoa himself was extradited from Chile in May.
Earlier this year, Castellanos entered a guilty plea to several charges, including conspiracy, kidnapping, and assault against internationally protected individuals.
A federal judge subsequently sentenced him to 48 years in prison.
Chiran is currently awaiting trial, set for November, where he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted.
Investigation and Evidence
An investigation by the Colombian National Police, aided by surveillance footage analysis, painted a disturbing picture of the events that unfolded.
Castellanos approached the soldiers in the early hours of the morning and allegedly spiked their drinks with benzodiazepines intended to incapacitate them.
At around 1:46 AM, one soldier was seen interacting with a woman in the bar, during which Castellanos intervened, leading him to a secluded part of the establishment.
Just 20 minutes later, the soldier stumbled toward the exit, with Castellanos following closely behind.
By approximately 2:24 AM, Castellanos returned for the second soldier, who was equally affected by the drugs.
With help from two others, they escorted him out of the bar and into a vehicle.
During their drive, Castellanos reportedly stopped at several ATMs, withdrawing cash from the soldiers’ stolen debit cards.
In the end, the three defendants allowed the two soldiers to leave.
One soldier suffered a fall during their departure, injuring his face, and required police assistance to reach a medical facility.
The other soldier managed to return to his lodging but had little to no recollection of how he arrived there.
Source: Militarytimes